GAMES 44-46
Youngstown State (29-22 / 14-9 #HLSB) vs. RMU (27-16 / 16-6 #HLSB)
Saturday, May 7, 2022 • 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 8, 2022 • 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Covelli Sports Complex • Youngstown, Ohio
 
Cracker Jack & Sunflower Seeds (Dubble Bubble, Too)
 
- The RMU softball team concludes its 2022 regular season with a three-game series against Youngstown State at the Covelli Sports Complex in Youngstown, Ohio. The Colonials and Penguins will open the series with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch Saturday before concluding the set Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
 
- Originally slated to be played at the North Athletic Complex, the three-game series between YSU and RMU was moved to the Covelli Sports Complex due to poor field conditions at the NAC after recent inclement weather. The Colonials will serve as the home team for each of the three games of the series.
 
- Of the six series that have gone the full three games against Horizon League foes in 2022, RMU has won five of them. The Colonials took two of three @ Oakland in their last time on diamond, sweeping a doubleheader from the Golden Grizzlies (4/30) in Rochester, Mich., at the OU Softball Field to earn the series victory.
 
- Senior Alaina York and fifth-year Taylor Rhinehart each hit .375 (3-for-8) in the series @ Oakland, with York scoring three runs and each connecting for a double. Freshman Alaina Koutsogiani hit .364 (4-for-11) against the Golden Grizzlies with a run and a stolen base.
 
- Rhinehart earned her first start in the circle since February in the opener of the doubleheader @ Oakland, facing just one batter over the minimum to bolster the Colonials to a 4-0 win. She allowed just one hit and a walk, striking out five.
 
- In 15 games during the month of April, including 14 starts, redshirt freshman Meadow Sacadura produced a slash line of .333/.378/.524 with four runs, two doubles, two home runs and five RBI.
 
- Sophomore Jane Garver finished 4-0 with a 1.85 earned run average (ERA) from the circle in five starts in April, allowing six earned runs in 22.2 innings with 19 strikeouts.
 
- Senior Erika Bell and sophomore Charlotte Grover started each of RMU's 17 games during the month of April, with Bell hitting .288 (17-for-59) with team-high totals in runs (10), doubles (5), triples (3) and RBI (13). Grover, meanwhile, hit .264 (14-for-53) and tied Bell for the team lead in runs (10) while smacking three home runs and driving in 12.
 
- Among Horizon League leaders, the Colonials rank third in the circuit in both batting average (.258) and earned run average (3.16). Individually, freshman Alaina Koutsogiani leads the Horizon League in stolen bases (36) while ranking second in runs (31) and is tied with Alicia Peters of Green Bay for sixth in hits (41).
 
- In a poll of Horizon League head coaches, RMU was picked to finish fourth in the 2022 preseason poll. Tabbed as the favorite was Oakland, which was followed by Youngstown State and UIC. The Colonials are led by head coach Jexx Varner, who is in his fourth season at the helm of the program. He has posted a record of 70-82 (.461) in his tenure at RMU.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE LINKS
- Live Stats
- RMU Athletics Gameday App
- RELATED: Bell Bestowed #HLSB All-Academic Team Plaudits
 
The All-Time Series (Youngstown State) – The Colonials and Penguins are no strangers on the diamond, as RMU owns a record of 30-26 (.536) against Youngstown State since 1991. The two programs met five times last season, splitting a four-game series at the North Athletic Complex as part of the regular season before YSU posted a 7-0 win over the Colonials in the opening game of the 2021 Horizon League Tournament. RMU is looking for its first win at Youngstown State since 2014, when the Colonials swept a doubleheader April 2, 2014, by the scores of 6-1 and 6-4. In the opener, former pitcher Geena Badolato (2011-14) pitched a complete game in earning the victory, while infielder Haileigh Stocks (2013-16) finished 5-for-8 at the dish in the sweep with two runs and two RBI.
 
Ring The Bell – Senior Erika Bell enters RMU's final series of the 2022 regular season producing some of her most consistent at bats as the season hits the stretch run. Bell leads the Colonials this season in multiple RBI games with nine, including three games in which she's driven in three or more. Bell is also one of four Colonials to have at least nine multi-hit efforts this year, with her four games in which she's collected at least three hits leading RMU. Bell has been remarkably consistent over the last two years, as well. In 41 games in 2022, Bell is hitting .303 (37-for-122) with three home runs and a team-high 28 RBI. Last season, Bell hit .304 (35-for-115) in 41 games with three home runs and 19 RBI. Overall during her career, Bell owns a .283/.360/.413 slash line with eight home runs and 66 RBI.
 
Did You Know? Rookies Alaina Koutsogiani and Anna Resnik have each been hit by a pitch eight times this season. That's the most times an RMU student-athlete has reached base via a HBP on record and is a key reason why the tandem have combined for 57 runs, the most by a pair of student-athletes for the Colonials since 2017.
 
Two Out Lightning – Senior Erika Bell and sophomore Charlotte Grover have combined to drive in 36 runs against Horizon League foes this season, and the duo have done a lot of their damage with two outs. A total of 22 of those RBI (61.1%) have come with opponents needing just one out to get out of an inning, with Bell having driven in 12 and Grover 10. Overall during the 2022 campaign, Bell has hit .364 (16-for-44) with two outs and a team-high 16 RBI.

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