DURANGO, Colo. –
Dani Fonseca hit her seventh home run of the season as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs won its opening game against Fort Lewis 5-3 today at Aspen Field. The Mountain Lions (9-12 / 7-9 RMAC) fell in the second game 8-5 to Regis.
Stephanie Chitkowski won her fourth game of the season in her fourth complete game in game one. Fonseca took the loss in the second game in her second complete game in seven days.
The Mountain Lions went down 3-0 after the first inning and were getting out-hit 7-2 through the first three innings. UCCS scored all five of its runs in the fifth inning, the first off of Jennings' double to score
Whitney Weber. Fonseca homered four pitches later to score
Nikki Hoffman and Jennings, and
Tressa Radach used an RBI double to score
Lexi Belligan with two outs.
The UCCS defense held Fort Lewis to no base runners in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take the 5-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. After two outs from the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh, the Skyhawks threatened with two runners on base and the go-ahead run at the plate. A pop out to Fonseca in right field ended the threat and secured the 5-3 victory for the Mountain Lions.
The Rangers took advantage of UCCS miscues for a 2-0 lead after the first inning to start the second game of the day. The Mountain Lions used back-to-back doubles at the start of the second inning to spark a five-run frame. The first six batters for UCCS reached base with five hits and a walk. Belligan drove in Radach after her leadoff double and
Stephanie Warhoe singled to drive in Belligan and
Makenna Smith, who reached on a walk. Hoffman recorded the third double of the inning for the Mountain Lions to score Warhoe and Smith. Fonseca's sacrifice fly scored Weber from third as UCCS went through the lineup in the second inning.
Regis added one run in both the third and fourth innings and the Mountain Lions took the 5-4 lead into the seventh inning. The Rangers scored four runs in the top of the seventh to retake the advantage at 8-5 to force the bottom of the seventh for UCCS.
Rayle Glover pinch ran for
Kylie Barnard after she was hit by a pitch to reach first, and reached second after a groundout by Radach and third on a single by Belligan. A popup to the shortstop with the tying run at the plate ended the comeback chances for the Mountain Lions against the conference-leading Rangers.
Hoffman went a combined four-of-seven at the plate today with a pair of doubles in the game with Regis. Belligan with four-of-eight and Jennings was three-of-four in the first game against Fort Lewis.
UCCS will play the same two teams tomorrow to finish the weekend. The Mountain Lions will face Regis at noon and Fort Lewis at 2 p.m.
