ROCK HILL, S.C. – The RMU softball team split its pair of games on day two of the Winthrop Invite, defeating Le Moyne in run-rule fashion, 9-1, before falling to host Winthrop, 4-3. The Colonials begin their season with a 2-2 record.
GAME 1: RMU 9, Le Moyne 1 (6 Innings)
RMU picked up right where it left off from the previous day, erupting for three runs in the opening inning.
Sequoia Dunlap and
Courtney Poulich hit back-to-back singles to begin the frame, bringing
Mary Brant to the plate. Brant delivered with a single to left field, and a fielding error allowed both Dunlap and Poulich to score.
Eloise Facher followed with a single, while
Aglaia Rudd reached on a fielder's choice.
Katlyn Jardine later reached on an error by the shortstop, allowing Facher to cross the plate and extend the lead to 3-0.
The Colonials continued their offensive momentum in the second inning, loading the bases on singles from
Alivia Hare and Dunlap and a walk by Poulich. Brant once again delivered, smashing a double to left center that scored Hare and Dunlap. Facher capped the inning with an RBI groundout, scoring Poulich and pushing the lead to 6-0.
RMU added two more runs in the third inning.
Erynn Thompson opened the frame with a double, and Hare followed with a double to right center to score Thompson. Dunlap then produced her third consecutive hit, lining a single down the right field line to score Hare and extend the advantage to 8-0.
Le Moyne got on the board in the fifth inning with a solo home run, but RMU answered in the sixth. Poulich drew her third walk of the game and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Rudd, securing the 9-1 run-rule victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- RMU outhit Le Moyne, 11-4. The Dolphins committed four errors, while RMU had two. Each team left six runners on base.
- The Colonials drew five walks, including three from Poulich.
- Makayla Jardine, Marta Gualazzi, and Mackenzie Hoover each made their season debut as pinch hitters. M. Jardine recorded her first hit of the season.
- Dunlap led the team with three hits, while Brant drove in a team-high three runs. Poulich scored a team-leading three runs.
- Senior Madelyn Coleman earned her first win of the season, allowing just four hits and one earned run over six innings while striking out five. She improves to 1-1 on the year.
GAME 2: Winthrop 4, RMU 3
Winthrop struck first in the opening inning with a solo home run to take a 1-0 lead.
The Colonials responded in the second inning when Facher doubled and later scored on a wild pitch to even the game.
The Eagles regained control in the fourth inning, scoring three runs on a pair of RBI singles and an RBI double to take a 4-1 advantage.
RMU answered in the fifth inning with aggressive baserunning. Hare laid down a bunt single, stole second, and advanced to third on a single from
Kaylyn Hopf. Poulich followed with an RBI, bringing Hare home and cutting the deficit to 4-2.
Aglaia Rudd continued her dominant tournament performance later in the game, blasting a solo home run to left field—her fourth of the tournament—to bring the Colonials within one run.
In the seventh inning, Hopf singled to give RMU a chance, but the Colonials were unable to complete the comeback, falling 4-3.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Both teams finished with eight hits and one walk. Winthrop committed the game's only error.
- Hopf and Facher each recorded a team-high two hits.
- Kaitlyn Molitoris started in the circle, pitching 3.2 innings and striking out six. Sammie Borrayo provided strong relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
COLONIAL FIRST
Freshman
Alivia Hare has made an immediate impact in RMU's lineup. Against Le Moyne, she recorded her first career multi-hit game and first RBI. She has also stole three bases, scored four runs and maintains a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
CAREER-HIGH PERFORMANCES
Junior shortstop
Sequoia Dunlap tied her career-high with three hits against Le Moyne, matching her previous mark set against Detroit Mercy on April 13, 2025. Through three games, Dunlap is batting .400 (6-for-15) with three RBI and two home runs.
Redshirt senior
Courtney Poulich was walked a career-high three times against Le Moyne. She currently owns a .563 on-base percentage and leads the team with seven runs scored.
SOPHOMORE SLUGGER
Mary Brant recorded three RBI for the second consecutive game against Le Moyne, marking her 13th career multi-RBI performance. She now owns 45 career RBI.
FOUR GAMES, FOUR HOME RUNS
Junior catcher
Aglaia Rudd delivered one of the most impressive offensive performances of the tournament, blasting four home runs in four games. She finished the Winthrop Invite batting .455 with six RBI and a 1.545 slugging percentage. Rudd now owns 11 career home runs and 49 RBI.
QUOTABLE – HEAD COACH JEXX VARNER
On game one: "The day started off very well. It was great to see the offense string big innings together without the long ball. We really hit the ball hard and put a lot of pressure on their defense. Coleman also pitched very well."
On game two: "Our second game was a tough loss. In the end, we just didn't execute with two strikes defensively and didn't do well enough in situational hitting to get the win."
On the season-opening tournament: "While we'd love to have a winning record at the end of the weekend, we definitely had that chance. We learned how to win games in different ways and saw great performances from multiple people. We will learn from these first games and be ready for next weekend."
UP NEXT
RMU's scheduled game tomorrow against Winthrop has been canceled due to weather on the extended forecast. The Colonials will next travel to Spartanburg, S.C. for the Spartan Classic/Sparkle City Invite, where they will face Morgan State, Wofford, USC Upstate, and Holy Cross from February 20–22.
Follow The Colonials: Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn | RMU Athletics Gameday App
