GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Nikki Hoffman hit five doubles and Kylie Barnard hit her team-leading third home run, but the offensive power wasn't enough as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (3-7 / 1-4 RMAC) dropped a tripleheader to Colorado Mesa (10-8 / 6-0 RMAC) today. The Mavericks won in 4-1, 13-7 and 9-4 games at the CMU Softball Field.

Dani Fonseca drove in the only UCCS run of the first game in the opening inning with a single to score Whitney Weber. The Mountain Lion defense allowed only one hit in the first two innings, and the Mavericks wouldn't get on the scoreboard until a sacrifice fly in the third inning to tie the game at 1-1.

UCCS put runners in scoring position on both the fourth and fifth innings, but Colorado Mesa would be the next to score with a three-run home run to take a 4-1 lead after the bottom of the fifth. Nikki Hoffman hit a double in the sixth and Paige Duncan singled in the seventh, but the Mountain Lions couldn't put another run across the plate in the 4-1 decision for the Mavericks.

Weber hit a triple in the second inning to score two runs and put the Mountain Lions ahead 3-2 in the second game. The Mavericks responded with four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 6-3 lead. UCCS answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning with an RBI double from Tressa Radach to score Barnard, and an RBI single from Makenna Smith to score Lexi Belligan. Colorado Mesa hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the third to take a 7-5 lead after three complete frames.

The Mountain Lions put Barnard and Hoffman into scoring position with two outs in the fourth before a groundout ended the chance to score for the fourth straight inning. A pair of home runs from the Mavericks put Colorado Mesa ahead 12-5. Barnard's two-run home run in the sixth made it a 12-7 game, but Colorado Mesa added one run in the bottom of the sixth to claim the 13-7 decision.

Hoffman hit three of her five doubles today in the third game, and used two of them in the first two innings as UCCS built a 4-1 lead against Colorado Mesa. Hayley Miller recorded six strikeouts in the first five innings to keep the Mavericks to one run, but Colorado Mesa rallied with eight runs in the sixth inning to build a 9-4 lead. Claire Nibbe earned a two-out single and Jordyn Cusimano drew a walk to put two Mountain Lions on base, but a groundout ended the potential for a rally in the 9-4 result.

Hoffman went seven-of-13 at the plate and increased her batting average by more than 100 points to .387 today. She earned 12 bases on her 13 at-bats for a .923 slugging percentage and scored four of the 12 UCCS runs today. Barnard led the Mountain Lions with three home runs and Weber's triple was part of a six-of-13 performance.

UCCS and Colorado Mesa will finish the series at 11 a.m., on Saturday morning.