CLEVELAND, Ohio – In a dramatic opening to their #HLSB Championship, the RMU softball team secured a thrilling 4-3 victory over Green Bay in eight innings, thanks to a walk-off RBI single from Logan Black. The Colonials now boast a 28-16 record on the season and advance to face No. 4 seed Purdue Fort Wayne tomorrow at 2:30 PM.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a scoreless first inning, Green Bay took an early lead in the second with an RBI double from Aidyn Messma.
 
RMU responded in the bottom of the third when Logan Black reached on an error and advanced to second on a groundout. Outfielder Courtney Poulich then delivered an RBI single up the middle, scoring Black to tie the game at 1-1.
 
The Colonials took their first lead in the bottom of the fifth, with Poulich again providing the spark. She blasted her team-leading 13th home run of the season over the center field wall, making the score 2-1.
However, the Phoenix answered with a solo home run of their own, eventually forcing the game into extra innings.
 
In the top of the eighth, Green Bay's Brooke Schwa hit a solo shot to left field, putting the Phoenix ahead 3-2 and appearing to be the game-winning run. But RMU had a resilient response in store.
 
Senior Alaina Koutsogiani led off the bottom of the eighth with a blistering hit to deep right field, legging out a crucial leadoff triple. Freshman Sequoia Dunlap then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, allowing Koutsogiani to slide safely into home, tying the game once again.
 
With Dunlap now at first, Katlyn Jardine executed another well-placed sacrifice squeeze, advancing Dunlap to second. A passed ball then moved Dunlap to third, putting the winning run just 60 feet away.
 
With the tension mounting, Logan Black stepped up to the plate and delivered the decisive blow, slapping an RBI single to right field, driving in Dunlap and securing a dramatic 4-3 walk-off victory for the Colonials.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• RMU outhit Green Bay 8-7, but left eight runners on base compared to the Phoenix's nine.
• The Colonials played flawless defense, while the Phoenix committed two errors.
• Courtney Poulich and Mary Brant each recorded a team-high two hits, with Poulich leading the team with two RBI, marking her 12th multi-RBI game of the season.
• The Colonials have now won all four games against Green Bay this season, outscoring them 20-10.

 
ANOTHER DOMINANT OUTING FROM DEVAULT
Senior pitcher Madison DeVault delivered another stellar performance in the circle for the Colonials. The ace pitched all eight innings, allowing only three runs and striking out an impressive 11 batters, surpassing the 300 career strikeout milestone in the process. This was her fifth career game with double-digit strikeouts.
 
POULICH'S POWER SURGE CONTINUES
Redshirt junior Courtney Poulich extended her single-season home run record with her 13th long ball of the year. Her 49 RBI this season lead the Horizon League, and she also boasts a conference-best .755 slugging percentage.
 
QUOTABLE – HEAD COACH JEXX VARNER
"Our team handled the adversity incredibly well," said Head Coach Jexx Varner. "We have great seniors and outstanding leadership. The message to the team was simply to trust themselves and find a way to get it done."
 
Regarding Koutsogiani's pivotal leadoff triple and the game-tying run, Varner added, "Alaina has faced some tough luck recently, so it was fantastic to see her come through in such a big moment. Sequoia executed a perfect bunt, and with Alaina's speed – she's the fastest player in program history – it was an easy call, and they executed it flawlessly to tie the game."
 
On Black's heroic walk-off hit, Varner praised, "It's phenomenal. Logan has stepped up in such a huge way all season long, especially considering she's played significantly more games behind the plate this year. She consistently shows up, and she's in a great place offensively. For her to deliver in that moment was huge."
 
UP NEXT
RMU will continue their #HLSB Championship journey tomorrow, Friday, May 9, at 2:30 PM against No. 4 seed Purdue Fort Wayne at Viking Field in Cleveland, Ohio. A victory would secure the Colonials a spot in the #HLSB Championship game on Saturday, May 10.
 
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