Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU softball team opened its final series of the 2023 regular season Friday, posting a 6-0 victory in Cleveland, Ohio, over Cleveland State at Viking Field. The Colonials improved to 22-21 (.512) overall during the 2023 season with the triumph, including 12-8 (.600) in the Horizon League.
GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING
Four batters into the contest Friday and the Colonials owned a 2-0 advantage, and it came off the bat of senior
Avery Winchell. Earning her
nursing pin Friday morning at the UPMC Events Center, Winchell celebrated with a two-run blast to left, her second home run in three games and third of the season. The dinger brought home redshirt sophomore
Meadow Sacadura, who singled to right with one out. Sacadura and Winchell were at it again in the third for RMU, with Sacadura leading off the frame with an infield single and coming around to score two batters later when Winchell provided an RBI single up the middle.
RECORD BREAKER
Alaina Koutsogiani made history in the top of the first after the Colonials grabbed the early lead. The sophomore walked after the two-run jack from Winchell and immediately stole second, picking up her 21st stolen base of the year. It also marked the 59th career theft for the Peters Township, Pa., native, helping her establish a new RMU career record. It took Koustogiani a total of 95 games to break a school record that had stood for 30 years. Former outfielder Kelli Miller (1990-93) owned the previous record of 58, and Koustogiani now owns program game (4), season (38) and career (59) standards for stolen bases.
THE ANCHOR
While Winchell seems to be heating up at the right time at the plate for the Colonials, fifth-year
Dana Vatakis has found a groove from the circle. She was in fine form Friday, giving up just three hits and a walk in a complete game. It marked her fifth shutout of the season and eighth of her career while striking out three. Vatakis has gone the distance in eight of her last 12 starts against Horizon League foes from the circle, having posted each of her five shutouts during that stretch.
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR
Sacadura started the final rally of the afternoon for the Colonials out of the No. 2 hole in the lineup for the Colonials, as she led off the fifth with a single through the left side. An error and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for Koutsogiani, who lined a single right back up the middle off Cleveland State's Melissa Holzopfel to bring home a pair and give RMU a 5-0 cushion. Sophomore
Logan Black drove home the final run of the tilt, as her groundout scored Winchell, who finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and three RBI at the dish against the Vikings.
💯
Thanks to the victory Friday, in addition to pushing the Colonials to second place in the Horizon League standings, fifth-year head coach
Jexx Varner picked up career victory No. 100. He improved to 100-110 (.476) during his time leading the Colonials, but since RMU has moved to the Horizon League Varner has guided the program to an overall record of 78-61 (.561), including a 48-31 (.608) against league opposition.
UP NEXT
RMU and Cleveland State (15-30 / 11-10) will play a doubleheader Saturday, May 6, to wrap up the 2023 regular season. First pitch at Viking Field is slated for 1:00 p.m.
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