Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team wrapped up an eight-game homestand at the North Athletic Complex Monday, dropping a pair of one-run affairs to Green Bay. The Phoenix earned a 3-2 win in the opening game before completing the doubleheader sweep with an identical 3-2 victory in game two. The Colonials, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped, dipped to 25-15 (.625) overall during the 2022 campaign, including 14-5 (.737) in the Horizon League.
GAME 1 • L, 2-3
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Green Bay got on the board in the top of the first, as Samantha Saloun hit an RBI single up the middle to bring home Tiffany Giese. RMU manufactured a run in the home half of the fourth inning, with senior
Erika Bell hitting a triple before being lifted for pinch runner
Julia Ehrman. Sophomore
Charlotte Grover cashed in the tying run, lifting a ball to right field for a sacrifice fly that knotted the score, 1-1. In the bottom of the fifth the Colonials grabbed the lead, with redshirt freshman catcher
Meadow Sacadura running the count full before poking a solo home run down the line in right field that cleared the fences to push RMU on top, 2-1.
ANSWERING
Green Bay took advantage of an RMU error in the sixth to jump back in front after Sacadura gave the Colonials their first lead of the game, as a triple to right by Gracie Peter scored a pair of runs. Alicia Peter opened the frame by singling to right, and after
Dana Vatakis was able to strike out Becca Edward, Alyssa Brewe laid down a sacrifice bunt to push the tying run into scoring position. Daija Williams came on to pinch hit and chopped one back to the circle that Vatakis wasn't able to handle, putting runners on first and third with two outs. Gracie Peter ran the count full before lacing her triple to right and push the Phoenix back in front, 3-2.
QUOTABLE
"The law of averages says you're going to lose eventually, and sure, you don't want to lose a winning streak, but we didn't play well enough today," RMU head coach
Jexx Varner said. "We had some clutch moments today, but unfortunately we gave it away. We exchanged too many outs for either moving runners or a run rather than getting that key base hit to put up a crooked number in an inning."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The round tripper for Sacadura marked her second of the 2022 season, both of which have come at home. The Colonials, however, slipped to 12-3 (.800) on the year when hitting at least one home run in a game. The triple for Bell in the fourth inning marked the second of her career and came just three days after collecting the first of her collegiate career.
GAME 2 • L, 2-3
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Just as in the opening game of the doubleheader, Green Bay (18-19 / 10-7 #HLSB) grabbed the early lead in the first inning, scoring a pair of runs thanks to five consecutive Phoenix safely reaching base off RMU starter
Rachael Rhinehart. Jadin Justman provided an RBI double to right center, and an RBI single by Becca Edward spelled the end for Rhinehart. She was replaced by her sister,
Taylor Rhinehart, who limited the damage by striking out Lauren King and Isabella Curtin to end the inning.
OVER THE TOP
RMU manufactured a run in the fourth to cut its deficit in half. Freshman
Alaina Koutsogiani reached on an error and then stole second and third, pushing her season total in stolen bases to 35. Bell cashed in, singling to left center to bring home the first run for the Colonials. Green Bay got that run back, however, in the top of the fifth, as Saloun reached on an error that allowed Giese to come around with the third run of the game for the Phoenix. It was a key run, as RMU added another tally in the home half of the frame. Junior
Avery Winchell doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third on a groundout to second by fifth-year
Alaina York. Koutsogiani followed with a single in front of the pitcher, but a throwing error allowed Winchell to race home to make it 3-2. Abigail Gawlinski got out of the jam, however, striking out freshman
Anna Resnik before inducing a groundout to second from Bell.
THE CLOSER
Taylor Rhinehart continued her dominating ways as the main relief option for the Colonials, as she logged 6.2 innings in the second game Monday and eight innings overall in the doubleheader against Green Bay. She yielded just a pair of hits and didn't issue a walk while striking out six. In nine appearances out of the bullpen in Horizon League play, Rhinehart has yet to allow an earned run. She's struck out 21, walked just three and allowed 16 hits in 25.2 innings of work.
QUOTABLE
"Knock on wood, but she's the best reliever in the conference for a reason," Varner said. "She gets in there and just attacks. She's unbelievable. It was definitely earlier today than we normally have her out there, but she can be lock down. It was great to see, especially since she hasn't thrown in about 10 days."
STREAK ALIVE
Thanks to her single in the fourth inning, Bell has safely reached base in 22 consecutive games, the longest streak by an RMU student-athlete since 2011. Bell also owns a six-game hitting streak and leads the Colonials with a slash line of .315/.406/.514 to go along with a team-high 26 RBI.
UP NEXT
RMU travels to Rochester, Mich., for a three-game series with Horizon League frontrunner Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies, who host Youngstown State for a doubleheader Tuesday, will welcome the Colonials beginning Friday, April 29, at 3:00 p.m. before a doubleheader Saturday, April 30, closes the set.
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