Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team concluded the home portion of its 2023 schedule Friday, falling in eight innings to Oakland, 4-2, at the North Athletic Complex. The Colonials slipped to 21-21 (.500) overall during the 2023 campaign, including 11-8 (.579) in the Horizon League.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Offense at a premium through seven innings and a playoff atmosphere at the NAC, Oakland was able to take control in the top of the eighth. The rally was started by Reese Ruhlman, who was hit by a pitch for the fifth time in the series with one out on a full count. Madi Herrington came to the plate for the Golden Grizzlies and pushed Oakland on top, 2-1, with a double to center, scoring Ruhlman from first. That would be all for sophomore
Madison DeVault, who allowed her first earned run at home since March 16. Junior
Jane Garver got the call and struck out Leah Bieniewicz, but Taylor Carraway added the insurance the Golden Grizzlies would need, connecting for a two-run home run that cleared the fence to the right of the foul pole in left.
QUOTABLE
"Maddie has been phenomenal, especially at home," Varner said. "We were very intentional in why we went after all three of them, because all three of our pitchers play so well off of each other. It's how we use them, and we feel it gives us an advantage, especially in games like this. Unfortunately balls didn't bounce our way today, but I think it plays in the long run."
EXTRA INNINGS
RMU got a run back in the bottom of the eighth with two outs. Sophomore
Alaina Koutsogiani reached on an infield single before sophomore
Logan Black reached on an error, putting a pair of runners on. Junior
Faith Miller came through with a single to left center, which scored Koutsogiani to pull the Colonials to within 4-2. Oakland starter Sydney Campbell, however, stranded a pair of runners in scoring position by getting sophomore
Jess Matheny to fly out to deep center to end the game.
CHANCES
RMU also had its opportunities in the home half of both the sixth and seventh innings. Redshirt sophomore
Meadow Sacadura and junior
Charlotte Grover each singled to open the sixth. Freshman
Abby Quickel was called on to pinch run for Sacadura, and her and Grover moved up 60 feet after a sacrifice bunt from senior
Avery Winchell. Koutsogiani followed with a bouncer to short, and Jenna Johnston was able to field it cleanly and throw out Quickel trying to score. In the seventh, Matheny singled with one and moved to second after sophomore
Anna Resnik was hit by a pitch, but Campbell got Sacadura to ground out to first to send the game to extra innings.
QUOTABLE
"We had a lot of fight," RMU head coach
Jexx Varner said. "We had the winning run at the plate in the eighth, even being down three runs. That kind of fight matters a lot when you're playing the best teams in the conference and facing one of the best arms in the conference. That plays later on."
THE FIRST SEVEN
The Colonials grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, as Matheny doubled to right center to score Black, who singled with one out before being moved to second on a sacrifice. Oakland knotted the contest in the top of the sixth, as an RBI single from Jen Krizka to right scored Maci Brown with the tying run. Brown had opened the frame with a single to center off fifth-year
Dana Vatakis and stole second to get into scoring position after Allisa DiPrima struck out on three pitches.
THE CIRCLE
Vatakis went 5.1 innings in the final home start of her career for the Colonials. She scattered four hits and walked a pair while striking out three. In eight appearances at home in her final season, Vatakis was 3-2 from the circle with a 1.54 earned run average (ERA), allowing just nine earned runs in a team-high 41 innings while locking down a pair of saves. As a team, RMU posted a 1.41 ERA at the North Athletic Complex during the 2023 campaign.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Campbell appeared in all three games of the series for Oakland (16-17 / 12-6 #HLSB), yielding just an earned run in 18 innings while striking out 10. In 12 career appearances against the Colonials, including eight starts, Campbell is 6-2 from the circle with a 1.61 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 61 innings.
UP NEXT
RMU heads to Pitt Tuesday, May 2, for a 6:00 p.m. non-conference single game before wrapping up its regular season with a three-game series at Cleveland State Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6.
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