Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team opened Horizon League play Thursday in its 2023 home opener, splitting a doubleheader with Detroit Mercy at the North Athletic Complex. The Colonials earned a 7-0 victory in game one before falling in the nightcap, 2-0. RMU owns an overall record of 9-11 (.450) during the 2023 season, including 1-1 (.500) in Horizon League action.
GAME 1 • W, 7-0
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
RMU grabbed an early 1-0 lead just three batters into its first at bat at home during the 2023 season. Sophomore
Alaina Koutsogiani lined a double to straight away center to lead off, stole third and scored on an RBI single by senior
Avery Winchell. The Colonials added four more in the bottom of the second. Junior
Julia Ehrman singled down the line in left with one out, while Koutsogiani followed with a walk. A double steal put a pair of runners in scoring position for sophomore
Anna Resnik, who doubled to left to score both and help RMU open up a 3-0 edge. Winchell followed with her second hit of the contest, a single to right center, before stealing second to again put runners on second and third with one out. Junior
Charlotte Grover was the beneficiary this time, drilling a two-run double to left center to give the Colonials a 5-0 cushion.
THE DMV
Fifth-year
Dana Vatakis set down each of the first seven hitters she faced Thursday, giving up her first hit in the top of the third when Rusti Glenn singled with one out. Vatakis followed by striking out Allison Smith swinging and Maddy Heilner looking, beginning a stretch in which she collected eight consecutive outs before Glenn led off the top of the sixth with her second hit of the contest. Vatakis came back to strike out Smith again before Jenna Holt singled to put a pair of runners on. The defense followed by coming up big, as Kara Wolfbauer grounded into a double play to end the inning.
QUOTABLE
"The middle and the bottom of the order did a good job of getting things going and getting it back to the top of the lineup," head coach
Jexx Varner said. "Those at bats have a ton of value, because we can put things in motion and use our speed. There are also more pitches thrown and more pitches seen for the other hitters in our lineup. Dana was great. She's been an anchor for five years. She came in and set the tone for what we believe is going to be a great final year in Horizon League play."
DIAMOND NINE
Each of RMU's nine starters safely reached base in game one as the Colonials collected a season-high 10 hits. Providing the insurance in the bottom of the sixth was redshirt sophomore
Meadow Sacadura and junior
Catalina Saxen, as each provided RBI singles to help settle the final score. Saxen was one of three Colonials to record a pair of hits, joining Winchell and Grover. Each of the trio finished 2-for-4 as Grover picked up her team-high fifth multi-hit effort of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Vatakis faced just two batters over the minimum thanks to the Colonials posting a pair of double plays in the victory. Including the 4-6-3 double play to end the sixth by RMU, Resnik came up with a web gem in the bottom of the seventh. Jaiden Lara opened the frame with a single, and it looked like the Titans were in business when Jordyn Chapman lifted a soft liner to shallow right field that looked as if it was going to fall. Resnik, with her back to the infield, made a leaping stab for the first out before turning around and firing to Winchell at first to double up Chapman.
GAME 2 • L, 0-2
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Sophomore
Madison DeVault and Detroit Mercy's Olivia Warrington took turns hanging zeros in the second game. DeVault opened the contest striking out the side in the first and retired the first seven hitters she faced until Ryann Glenn drew a walk. The Titans put a pair of runners on before DeVault struck out Wolfbauer to end the bottom of the third. Warrington, meanwhile, didn't allow a hit until junior
Jess Matheny opened the bottom of the third with a single to center. The Colonials had a chance to strike in that inning with a pair of runners on, but Warrington got Resnik to pop out before Winchell flied out to center.
THE BIG HIT
Rusti Glenn came through for the Titans (2-15 / 1-1 #HLSB) in the top of the fifth, taking a 1-0 pitch from DeVault and lifting it over the fence in right center for a home run to give UDM a 1-0 advantage. Rusti Glenn finished the double dip Thursday 4-for-5 at the plate, with the round-tripper her first of the season. That would be all Warrington would need. Working around four walks, she yielded just three hits and struck out three in picking up her first win of the year from the circle.
QUOTABLE
"We just have to refocus and get a little more intentional with the things that we're doing with our preparation," Varner said. "Whatever our plan was from the dugout to the box, it just didn't correlate. We just have to find a sense of urgency from pitch one all the way through to the end. We let a lot of first pitch strikes go, and those were some of the best pitches of the at bat. (Warrington) started climbing the ladder a little bit, and we didn't make an adjustment."
UP NEXT
RMU looks to get a series win Friday when the Colonials and Titans conclude the three-game set with a Noon first pitch at the North Athletic Complex.
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