Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team continued play in the Runnin' Bulldog Classic Saturday in Boiling Springs, N.C., concluding play with a split. The Colonials fell to George Mason, 2-1, before rounding out the tournament with a 7-6 triumph over host Gardner-Webb at Brinkley Stadium. RMU owns an overall record of 2-2 (.500) during the 2023 season.
GAME 1 • L, 1-2 • vs. George Mason
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Patriots earned their second consecutive win over the Colonials in walk-off fashion, plating a run in the bottom of the seventh. Alena Ball singled with one out and swiped second before Haley Taormina tripled down the line in right to bring home the winning run. Ball stole three bases in the contest as George Mason finished with seven as a team.
SECOND, THIRD
The Patriots grabbed an early 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI single from Madi Williams, but the Colonials came back to tie it in the top of the third. Sophomore
Logan Black opened the frame with a free pass before junior
Kinsey Ventura laced a single to left. Sophomore
Jess Matheny moved the runners up with a sacrifice before sophomore
Alaina Koutsogiani was plunked by an offering from Aly Rayle, loading the bases. Junior
Faith Miller capitalized, hitting a sacrifice fly to score Black and tie the game. RMU was unable to grab the lead, however, as after a walk by senior
Avery Winchell, Rayle got out of the jam by getting junior
Charlotte Grover to pop up to second.
CIRCLE K
Fifth-year
Dana Vatakis was the hard luck loser for the Colonials, as she allowed just a pair of earned runs in 6.1 innings. She walked four and struck out five but got 10 groundouts. In her first two starts of the season, Vatakis has induced 18 grounds in 11.1 innings, getting over half her outs on the ground.
GAME 2 • W, 7-6 • @ Gardner-Webb
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
RMU broke out the bats in facing off with the host Runnin' Bulldogs for the first time in the classic, collecting nine hits in improving to 2-1 (.667) this season in one-run affairs. Trailing, 4-3, heading into the top of the fifth, Grover struck with two outs for the Colonials. Winchell opened the frame with a single up the middle, and after Miller lined out to center and redshirt sophomore
Meadow Sacadura flew out to left, Grover capitalized. She launched her first home run of the season over the fence in left to push the Colonials in front, 5-4.
STATE FARM
RMU picked up a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh, and Winchell again started the rally. Hitting out of the leadoff spot for the first time on the young season, Winchell picked up her second hit of the contest with a single before advancing to second on an error by Abbey Goodrum in left. It was one of two errors in the frame by Gardner-Webb, the second of which came after Grover singled, scoring Winchell to give the Colonials a 6-4 lead. On the play,
Julia Ehrman, inserted as a pinch runner after a single by Miller, also trotted home to give RMU a three-run lead.
NAILING IT DOWN
RMU would need those two runs from the top of the seventh, as Gardner-Webb scored a pair in the home half of the inning before Vatakis was able to lock down her first save of the 2023 season. Pitching in wet and windy conditions, including ice pellets, Vatakis struck out Bridgett Strobl looking before getting Taylor Dreher to ground out to second to end the threat and seal the win.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE(S)
In addition to the multi-hit efforts from Winchell and Grover in the night cap, Ventura also finished 2-for-3 against Gardner-Webb, driving in a pair and also scoring a run. Ventura finished the two games Saturday 4-for-5 in the box, including a two-run double in the second that opened the scoring. Sophomore
Madison DeVault earned the win from the circle, not allowing a hit in three innings of work but also battling the elements, walking five and also tossing a wild pitch. She struck out four.
UP NEXT
RMU was scheduled to close out the Runnin' Bulldogs Classic Sunday with a 10:00 a.m. first pitch against Gardner-Webb, but the game has been canceled due to inclement weather. The Colonials return to action Friday, Feb. 24, against Rutgers in Charleston, S.C., in their first game of the Low Country Classic.
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