Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team opened a six-game homestand at the North Athletic Complex Sunday, sweeping a non-conference doubleheader from Kent State. The Colonials earned a 4-1 win in game one before completing the sweep with a 5-3 triumph in game two. RMU improved to 12-14 (.462) overall during the 2023 season with the pair of victories.
GAME 1 • W, 4-1
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
RMU plated a pair in the bottom of the second to score the only runs it would need off starter Carley Penner of the Golden Flashes. Junior
Kinsey Ventura opened the frame with a double to left center before Penner got a pair of quick outs in hopes of stranding the runner in the scoring position. Junior
Julia Ehrman hit a shot that Julia Mazanec couldn't handle at shortstop, careening into foul territory and allowing Ventura to score and Ehrman to move to second. Sophomore
Anna Resnik capitalized, lacing a single up the middle to score Ehrman and give RMU a 2-0 advantage.
LIGONIER DAYS
Junior
Jane Garver, meanwhile, was in control from the circle for RMU, as she scattered seven hits and issued one walk in 5.1 innings. Kent State picked up its lone run in the top of the sixth on an error by the Colonials to close to within 3-1, but fifth-year
Dana Vatakis, who came on in the sixth with one out and two runners on, got Alexandria Whitemore to ground out to third to end the threat.
NATIONWIDE IS ON YOUR SIDE
The Colonials got that run back in the home half of the sixth. Sophomore
Jess Matheny singled with one out and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Resnik wasted no time, jumping on the first pitch from Macy Irelan and ripping a single to center to bring home an insurance run and give the Colonials a 4-1 lead. Resnik finished 2-for-3 in game one, driving in three in the victory.
QUOTABLE
"(Anna) has a great on-base percentage and it's always been really good," Varner said. "We talked about this before the Alabama trip. You could see she was getting close with her swing. If her swing is good and she's stroking the ball, she's the perfect person to have up there at the top of the order. It allows us to have more flexibility with (Koutsogiani) and things we can do with her in regard to her speed. We took advantage of the opportunity for Anna and she's taking advantage of that role."
GAME 2 • W, 5-3
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Trailing, 2-1, heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Colonials scored four to open up a 5-2 lead and seize control.
Avery Winchell reached on a throwing error from Irelan with one out, as her throw to second baseman Mazanec covering at first on a bunt was tall, allowing RMU to put the tying run on base. Junior
Charlotte Grover followed with a single to center to move the tying run into scoring position, and pinch hitter
Catalina Saxen came up big. She lifted a 1-1 pitch into center to score Winchell with the tying run. Two batters later Matheny was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and this time it was sophomore
Logan Black pushing the Colonials in front, as her RBI single scored Grover to give RMU a 3-2 edge. Ehrman added the insurance, lacing a single down the line in left that scored Saxen and Matheny.
QUOTABLE
"We're understanding who we are and embracing that," Varner said. "We have some pretty good approaches at the plate right now and they're staying with the game plan. When we do that we give ourselves some chances. We'd love some more pop, but our kids do a good job of having their at bat and then passing it onto the next person in the order. It's a conversation we have a lot, and they're having that amongst each other, and you're seeing it pay dividends."
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The four-run rally made a winner out of sophomore
Madison DeVault, who picked up her first win from the circle in almost a month, improving to 5-6 overall during the 2023 season. She didn't allow an earned run in six innings of work, yielding four hits, walking three and striking out a pair. Fifth-year
Dana Vatakis, meanwhile, came on in both ends of the doubleheader to close out the victories and earn a pair of saves. She now owns three saves on the 2023 season and five on her career, which ranks second in the RMU career record book.
QUOTABLE
"All three of our pitchers did a really good job," Varner said. "That's what we need. They each know what their role is. We talked about it in the huddle. It was their response, whether it was an error or a walk or maybe a bad inning. You just shake it off and go get the next pitch. It's not something that snowballs into something bad. I'm really proud of the three of them, and I'm proud of the defense. Even though we weren't sharp today, they responded well, too."
UP NEXT
RMU continues a six-game homestand at the North Athletic Complex Tuesday, April 4, with a 3:00 p.m. game against Pitt.
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