Moon Township, Pa. – Fifth-year pitcher
Dana Vatakis of the RMU softball team has been tabbed the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week, it was announced by the league Monday. It marks the first weekly honor of the 2023 season for Vatakis as well as the third of her career, as she
was also named #HLSB Pitcher of the Week twice
during the 2022 campaign.
In a three-game road sweep of Cleveland State last weekend in Cleveland, Ohio, at Viking Field that concluded the regular season for the Colonials, Vatakis finished 2-0 from the circle, spinning a pair of complete games and not allowing a run in 14 innings. She struck out eight and walked just a pair while holding opponents to a .184 batting average.
In the opener of the series,
a 6-0 triumph for the Colonials, Vatakis, a native of Monessen, Pa., allowed three hits, struck out three and used just 78 pitches for the complete game. The next afternoon in the second game of a doubleheader, Vatakis sealed the
sweep by scattering six hits and a walk while striking out five in a 5-0 win.
In 11 starts against Horizon League foes this year, Vatakis owns a 7-2 record from the circle and an earned run average (ERA) of 1.01 with eight complete games and six shutouts. In 69.1 innings during that stretch, Vatakis has struck out 40 and held opponents to a .181 batting average.
Overall during the 2023 campaign, Vatakis owns a mark of 10-10 from the circle and ranks in the top 10 in the Horizon League in six different categories. In addition to owning a league-high three saves, Vatakis sits second in the circuit in ERA (2.13) and opponent batting average (.210), fourth in wins, fifth in innings pitched (138.1) and 10th in strikeouts (85).
Thanks to the sweep of the Vikings, RMU finished second in the #HLSB standings and earned a bye in the 2023 Horizon League Championships this week in Green Bay, Wisc., at King Park. The Colonials, led by fifth-year head coach
Jexx Varner, have posted an overall record of 24-21 (.533), including a mark of 14-8 (.636) in the Horizon League. RMU will open the #HLSB Championships Thursday, May 11, at 3:30 p.m. against the winner of No. 6 seed Youngstown State and No. 3 seed Northern Kentucky.
Follow The Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | RMU Athletics Gameday App
