Moon Township, Pa. – Behind a pair of stellar pitching performances, the RMU softball team completed a three-game sweep of Northern Kentucky Saturday at the North Athletic Complex, winning both ends of a doubleheader by the score of 5-0. The Colonials evened their overall record during the 2023 season to 15-15 (.500) while improving to 5-2 (.714) in the Horizon League with the victories.
GAME 1 • W, 5-0
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Junior
Jane Garver tied a career high with 10 strikeouts and held the Norse to just three hits in the first game of the double dip. She worked around five walks in the contest, but no runner reached third base for Northern Kentucky. In throwing 116 pitches, Garver got better as the game went on, striking out the side in the sixth and picking up the first out in the top of the seventh by striking out Megan Kincer swinging. Seven of the 10 strikeouts for Garver were of the swinging variety as she matched a personal best that she originally established as a freshman in a 4-3 victory @ Purdue Fort Wayne (4/3/21).
SMART BASERUNNING
RMU scored the game's first run in the top of the third, taking advantage of a throwing error by NKU. Junior
Catalina Saxen doubled to left to open the inning despite Megan Lenhart almost making an acrobatic play against the wall for the first out. Freshman
Abby Quickel was called on to pinch run, and she moved to third on a single from sophomore
Logan Black. Black then swiped second, and on an attempt to thwart a double steal, the throw to third by Kayla Shymkewich bounced off Quickel as she was diving back to the bag. The ball scooted away into foul territory, allowing Quickel to dart home and give RMU a 1-0 advantage.
BREAK OUT
RMU broke the game open in the fourth, scoring three runs on three hits. A double to right center from sophomore
Jess Matheny brought home junior
Charlotte Grover, and redshirt sophomore
Meadow Sacadura followed with a perfectly placed bunt. It allowed sophomore
Alaina Koutsogiani to score from third while Sacadura motored to second to keep the inning going. Saxen capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to left that scored Matheny.
QUOTABLE
"It's knowing who we are and the things that we have to do," RMU head coach
Jexx Varner said. "We accept who we are and we have to play into that as a strength. It's running the bases well, it's playing small ball. The quality of at bats will pay off, whether it's a game or a series. The hardest thing from the last three weeks because of the weather has been getting into a rhythm. What this last week has really helped us do is find that rhythm. The offense is in a good place at the moment."
GAME 2 • W, 5-0
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Following
in the footsteps of fifth-year Dana Vatakis Friday and Garver in game one, sophomore
Madison DeVault set a career high with nine strikeouts and gave up just two hits while issuing one free pass. Northern Kentucky (9-26 / 4-6 #HLSB) picked up its first hit with two outs in the top of the third courtesy of a single from Brielle DeMemmo, but DeVault responded by retiring nine consecutive Norse before Ella LeMonier singled to left with two out in the sixth. DeVault also got stronger as the game went on, striking out the side in the seventh, including Kaylee McGinn looking to end the game.
QUOTABLE
"Our pitchers were awesome this weekend," Varner said. "I acknowledged the five of them. Dana, Jane and Maddie and then Coach Sam (Santillo) and Meadow behind the plate, as they were all incredible this weekend. It's one of the best performances from a staff I've ever seen. Period. It speaks to what we expect from our staff. We give them the ball, you go handle your business in your game and someone is going to take the next game and run with it. They embraced that and challenged NKU this weekend and were lights out."
FIVE IN THE FIRST
RMU wasted no time in the second game getting its offense going, scoring all five of its runs in the first inning on five hits while taking advantage of a miscue by Northern Kentucky. A total of 11 hitters went to the plate as the Colonials chased NKU starter Lauryn Hicks after just two thirds of an inning. She allowed all five hits in the frame, with Koutsogiani putting the Colonials on the board thanks to an RBI single to left that scored sophomore
Anna Resnik, who opened the game with a single up the middle. Also coming through with RBI singles in the inning were Sacadura and junior
Faith Miller.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE(S)
A total of six different Colonials registered a multi-hit game in the three-game series against Northern Kentucky as RMU finished its homestand with a 5-1 (.833) record. Sacadura, Saxen and Black each finished with a pair of hits in the first game of the doubleheader Saturday, while Resnik and Miller each went 2-for-3 in game two. Northern Kentucky, which entered the series this weekend ranked second in the Horizon League in runs (108), collected just six hits in the three games.
UP NEXT
The series sweep moves RMU into a tie for second place in the Horizon League standings with Youngstown State, as the two teams are a half game behind Purdue Fort Wayne (6-2). RMU will head to Youngstown, Ohio, Tuesday, April 11, for a doubleheader with the Penguins slated for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch. The two teams will square off again at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, to complete the three-game series.
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