Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team opened its 2023 season Friday by splitting a pair of games at the Runnin' Bulldog Classic in Boiling Springs, N.C., which is hosted by Gardner-Webb. In the first game the Colonials earned a 3-2 win over Austin Peay at Brinkley Stadium before falling to George Mason, 4-1.
GAME 1 • W, 3-2 • vs. Austin Peay
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
A year after finishing 16-9 (.640) in games decided by two runs or less, the Colonials picked up their first win of the year in come-from-behind fashion. Down, 2-0, after five, RMU tied it up in the top of the sixth, 2-2, before plating the eventual winning run in the seventh frame. The Colonials tied it up in the sixth with four consecutive singles to open the inning. Senior
Avery Winchell and junior
Charlotte Grover put ducks on the pond with back-to-back singles to open the frame, and redshirt sophomore
Meadow Sacadura brought Winchell home with the first run of the season for RMU with an RBI single up the middle. Junior
Faith Miller followed with a single to right, which brought home Grover to knot the game.
THE LAST DANCE
Jordan Benefiel settled down to retire three consecutive Colonials to get out of the jam in the top of the sixth and the game tied, but RMU pounced in the top of the final frame. Sophomore
Alaina Koutsogiani reached on an infield single and moved to second when Benefiel rushed her throw in an attempt to get the first out of the inning. Sophomore
Anna Resnik followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Koutsogiani to third, and she scored the eventual game-winning run when Winchell reached on an infield error.
LIGONIER DAYS
The three runs in the final two innings made a winner out of junior
Jane Garver, who came on in relief of fifth-year starter
Dana Vatakis. Garer allowed a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth but retired each of the final four Govs to pick up her first win of the year from the circle. Vatakis opened the year by allowing a pair of earned runs on five hits, striking out three and allowing three walks.
GAME 2 • L, 4-1 • vs. George Mason
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Patriots grabbed the early lead just two batters into the contest. Alena Ball opened with a walk and followed by stealing second. Haley Taormina grounded out to short for the first out of the inning, but Ball was able to trot home after a throwing error to give George Mason a 1-0 advantage.
TYING IT UP
RMU came back with the tying run similar to how it knotted the score in its 2023 season opener against Austin Peay. Winchell led off the bottom of the fourth with the first extra-base hit of the year for the Colonials by ripping a double to center. Grover followed with a walk before Sacadura lined a single to center to score Winchell and tie the contest, 1-1. Jordan Tallman was able to minimize the damage for the Patriots, getting Miller to ground out to third before ending the inning by inducing a pop fly from sophomore
Logan Black.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Garver again came on in relief for the Colonials against the Patriots, taking over for sophomore
Madison DeVault, who didn't allow an earned run in four innings while striking out a pair but yielded consecutive singles to open the top of the fifth. Garver got out of the jam and was in control until Charlotte Montgomery tripled with one out in the seventh. She came around to score on a fielder's choice, and Taormina added a two-run double for insurance to settle the final score.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE(S)
The middle of RMU's lineup flexed its muscle in the opening games of the 2023 season, as Winchell, Grover and Sacadura combined to go 7-for-18 (.389) with three runs and a pair of RBI. Sacadura drove in both of those runs, while Winchell finished the two games 3-for-7 at the dish with two runs and a double.
UP NEXT
The Colonials get another crack at George Mason Saturday, Feb. 11, with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch at Brinkley Stadium before taking on host Gardner-Webb at 5:00 p.m.
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