COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - University of Colorado Colorado Springs senior shortstop hit two home runs and went four-of-five as the Mountain Lions (7-8 / 5-5 RMAC) earned an 8-0 shutout and a 14-6 victory against New Mexico Highlands (1-13 / 0-8 RMAC) today at Mountain Lion Field. UCCS swept the four-game series against the Cowgirls and moved back to .500 in the conference.

Jennings used her second pitch to hit a two-run home run after Nikki Hoffman walked to reach first. Stephanie Chitkowski and the UCCS defense retired the Cowgirls in order in the first two innings before a walk in the third inning. The Mountain Lions put a runner into scoring position in the bottom of the third and earned a single in the fourth inning, but couldn't bring more runners home until the fifth inning.

Back at the top of the order, Hoffman singled up the middle and Jennings earned the walk to set up a three-run home run from Dani Fonseca and push the UCCS lead to 5-0. Kylie Barnard and Lexi Belligan continued the hitting with back-to-back singles, and Tressa Radach used a double to score one run. Stephanie Warhoe pinch hit and used a single into right field to score two more runs and secure the 8-0 win in five innings. Chitkowski recorded her second complete game of the weekend and struck out four batters and allowed only two hits.

Belligan hit a home run in the bottom of the second to tie the game at 1-1, but New Mexico Highlands retook the lead with three runs in the top of the third. Barnard hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, Makenna Smith tied it at 4-4 with a single to center field to score Belligan, and Warhoe's double scored Smith and Radach to push UCCS into a 6-4 lead after three innings.

Hayley Miller replaced Korey Kulpins at the start of the fourth inning and used 12 pitches for a groundout and two flyouts to retire the Cowgirls in order. Jennings and Dani Fonseca hit back-to-back home runs to make it an 8-4 lead after four innings. The Cowgirls responded with their own two runs in the top of the fifth to close the Mountain Lion lead back down to 8-6.

A leadoff double from Smith and a single from Warhoe put runners at the corners to start the bottom of the fifth inning for UCCS. Weber singled to left field to bring Smith home, and Warhoe and Weber both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Jennings doubled to left field to bring the runners home and make it an 11-6 lead. Fonseca walked, and then Barnard hit her second home run of the game in walk-off fashion to end the game in a 14-6 Mountain Lion win in five innings.

Kulpins earned her third win of the season and Chitkowksi earned the save. All but one of the Mountain Lions in the batting order finished with a hit and Barnard led UCCS with five RBIs in the game.

The Mountain Lions will be on the road this weekend in a four-game series at Colorado State-Pueblo. The ThunderWolves (9-11 / 5-3 RMAC) went 1-3 against Regis and Colorado Mesa at home yesterday and today.