Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team continued an eight-game homestand Saturday by stretching its winning streak to seven with a doubleheader sweep of Purdue Fort Wayne at the North Athletic Complex. The Colonials posted a 7-1 victory in the first game before completing a three-game sweep of the Mastodons with a 4-1 triumph in game two. RMU improved to 25-13 (.658) overall during the 2022 campaign, including 14-3 (.824) in the Horizon League.
GAME 1 • W, 7-1
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Eight of RMU's nine starters recorded a hit in the opening game of the double dip, with the Colonials scoring three in the home half of the first for the second consecutive day to grab an early lead. RMU got consecutive RBI singles from fifth-year
Taylor Rhinehart, redshirt freshman
Meadow Sacadura and sophomore
Catalina Saxen to carry a 3-0 advantage into the top of the second. Purdue Fort Wayne closed to within 3-1 thanks to an RBI single by Emma McMillan in the third, but two insurance runs in the fourth off the bat of senior
Erika Bell helped the Colonials stay in control. Bell sliced her ninth double of the year to left center with two outs, driving home fifth-year
Alaina York and junior
Avery Winchell to increase RMU's cushion to 5-1.
THE RIVER RHINE
The run support would be all that junior
Rachael Rhinehart would need to improve to 8-4 on the year from the pitching circle. She scattered five hits and three walks in the victory, striking out four, in six innings. Freshman
Madison DeVault came on in the seventh to slam the door, striking out a pair while not allowing a hit.
QUOTABLE
"Rachael threw a great game and Maddie came in after yesterday and had a shutdown seventh inning," RMU head coach
Jexx Varner said. "We've got five games in three days, and we were able to work through this without Taylor throwing and without Dana throwing more than just yesterday. We're in a really good place to play on Monday. You want to be there at the end, that's what matters. We've got eight more games in conference play where we have to go handle our business."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The bottom half of the order for the Colonials combined for seven hits in the win, with Sacadura, Saxen and Winchell each finishing 2-for-3 at the dish. Each of the aforementioned trio drove in a run, while Winchell scored twice. Her single right in front of the circle in the fifth scored pinch runner
Bailee Bertani to push the lead over the Mastodons to 6-1, while freshman
Alaina Koutsogiani capped the scoring on the game with an RBI single to right to bring home Winchell.
GAME 2 • W, 4-1
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Purdue Fort Wayne (7-34 / 6-14 #HLSB) jumped in front off RMU starter
Jane Garver in the first, as McMillan lifted a single down the line in right field that took a bounce off Saxen's leg, allowing McMillan to advance to second. Alise Hale followed with a double to right center to bring home the game's first run, but Garver struck out Brooke Wintlend and Sonia Solis, both swinging, to thwart an extended rally.
CONTROL
Despite giving up the run in the first, Garver was in complete control, allowing just two more hits from the second inning on, not issuing a walk and striking out nine. She improved to 4-2 on the year and in two career starts against the Mastodons has pitched 14 innings, allowing eight hits and just two earned runs while striking out 19. She ended the sweep Saturday by striking out Taryn Jenkins swinging.
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"I felt like everything was clicking," Garver said. "My curve and my rise were really clicking. Just hitting spots really well. Bailee, my catcher, did an awesome job behind the plate, as did the defense. Other teams are going to score runs. I just had to buckle down afterward. The throw by Erika completely turned the momentum of the ball game around. It was awesome."
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Jenkins opened the top of the fifth with a double to center and followed by swiping third. Garver got ahead of Brayden Lickey before she lifted a fly ball to left. Bell settled under it and unleashed a dart to Bertani at home plate, who supplied the tag of Jenkins to keep it a one-run game.
BREAK OUT
The defensive play in the top of the fifth sparked the offense in the home half of the frame, with Bell ripping a single to right to lead off the inning before sophomore
Charlotte Grover connected for a double to left center.
Taylor Rhinehart would reach on a fielder's choice to load the bases, and Saxen followed with a chopper to Jenkins at short. The throw to the plate, however, was late, with pinch runner
Julia Ehrman racing home to tie the game, 1-1. Winchell followed by breaking the game open with a single to right center that scored pinch runner
Jess Matheny and Grover.
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"Defensively we played really well," Varner said. "It's little things like (Ehrman) cutting the ball off and keeping it a single instead of a double in the sixth inning. Obviously, Erika with the throw to the plate was a huge jump start for us. Really proud of the defense, and Jane was phenomenal. Probably the best start of her entire career. Just unbelievable, and it was great to see. Really proud of her."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The victory helped the Colonials notch their 25th win of the season, the first time RMU has reached the 25-win plateau since 2015. More importantly, the seven-game winning streak has propelled the Colonials to the top of the standings in the Horizon League, percentage points ahead of Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies (12-3) dropped two of three at Cleveland State this weekend, as the Vikings sit in third place in the league standings at 13-5. Thanks to a three-game home sweep of Green Bay, Youngstown State moved into fourth place with an 11-7 league record.
UP NEXT
RMU wraps its eight-game homestand at the North Athletic Complex Monday, April 25, with an 11:00 a.m. doubleheader against Green Bay.
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