MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU softball team's historic 2026 campaign ended Saturday as the Colonials defeated Green Bay 6-5 in nine innings in the semifinal before falling to Northern Kentucky 4-3 in the #HLSB Championship game. RMU ends the season with a 31-18 overall record and its third appearance in the Horizon League title game since 2022.
GAME 1: RMU 6, Green Bay 5 (9 Innings)
Through the first two innings, neither team could capitalize offensively before Green Bay struck first in the third inning, scoring two unearned runs to take a 2-0 lead.
The Phoenix extended their advantage in the fourth with a solo homer and an RBI double, pushing the score to 4-0.
RMU's offense finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth.
Erynn Thompson started the rally with an infield single before
Marta Gualazzi doubled to right center, placing two runners in scoring position.
Kaylyn Hopf delivered an RBI single to put the Colonials on the board.
Eloise Facher grounded into a double play but another run crossed to cut the deficit to 4-2. With two outs, the Colonials kept the inning alive as
Courtney Poulich and
Aglaia Rudd each recorded singles.
Mary Brant then delivered the biggest hit of the game, blasting a three-run homer to give RMU a 5-4 lead.
After a scoreless sixth inning, Green Bay answered in dramatic fashion in the seventh. Down to their final strike, Emily Jones connected on a solo home run to center field to tie the game at 5-5 and force extra innings.
Neither side scored in the eighth, but RMU walked it off in the ninth. Facher doubled down the right field line and advanced to third on a deep fly ball from Poulich. Rudd came through in the clutch, lining a single up the middle to score the winning run and send the Colonials to the championship game with a 6-5 victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- RMU outhit Green Bay 15-9.
- Hopf and Alivia Hare each recorded three hits while Brant drove in a team-high three runs.
- Poulich added a stolen base while Brant finished with three defensive assists.
- In the circle, Madelyn Coleman struck out three over 3.1 innings. Kaitlyn Molitoris threw the final 5.2 innings, recording five strikeouts to earn her 10th win of the season.
GAME 2: Northern Kentucky 4, RMU 3
Northern Kentucky came out aggressive offensively, scoring two runs in the opening inning to take an early lead.
RMU answered in the second as Thompson doubled to drive in Hare and cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Colonials tied the game in the fourth inning when Brant doubled to left center and Thompson followed with an RBI single.
NKU regained control over the next two innings, scoring once in the fifth and once again in the sixth to take a 4-2 advantage into the final frame.
RMU mounted one last rally in the seventh. Gualazzi opened the inning with a double into the left-center gap before Hopf singled up the middle. Facher later drove in a run on a fielder's choice to make it 4-3. After advancing to second on a wild pitch and with Rudd reaching base after being hit by a pitch, the Colonials brought the tying run into scoring position, but NKU recorded the final out.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- NKU outhit RMU 10-8.
- Thompson and Hopf each tallied two hits while Thompson drove in two runs.
- Coleman struck out four over 4.1 innings while Molitoris added three strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Poulich, Rudd, Brant and Molitoris were each named to the 2026 #HLSB All-Tournament Team. It marked the second straight season that Poulich and Brant earned the honor.
Poulich finished the tournament with one home run, two doubles and six RBIs while Brant launched three home runs and drove in eight runs. Rudd batted .550 during postseason play with one homer, two doubles and four RBIs across six games. Molitoris appeared in all six postseason contests, posting a 0.78 ERA with 14 strikeouts over 18 innings.
NO STRIKEOUTS
Rudd finished the entire 2026 season without striking out once, becoming the only player in NCAA softball to accomplish the feat. Across 156 at-bats, she hit .551 with a .590 on-base percentage. Her .551 batting average set both a new RMU program record and a Horizon League single-season record.
PROGRAM RECORD HOLDER
Poulich concluded her career as one of the most decorated players in program history, leaving as RMU's all-time leader in home runs (47), RBIs (161) and runs scored (141).
She also established new single-season program records in home runs (25), RBIs (88) and runs scored (76).
MILESTONE REACHED
With eight strikeouts on the day, junior pitcher
Kaitlyn Molitoris eclipsed 200 career strikeouts. She finished the season with 10 wins, two saves and 114 strikeouts.
PROGRAM HISTORY
RMU made its third appearance in the Horizon League Championship game since 2022 after previously finishing runner-up in 2022 and winning the tournament title in 2025.
The Colonials are tied with Northern Kentucky for the most championship game appearances over the last five seasons and remain the only Horizon League program to qualify for the conference tournament every year since 2021.
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