COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs overcame a six-run deficit in the first full game and then earned a run-rule victory in the second game to close out the home schedule with a pair of victories. The Mountain Lions (17-24 / 15-19 RMAC) fell by a 4-3 score in the Fort Lewis game that was finished from last night, but then rebounded with an 8-7 win against the Skyhawks and then earned a 15-8 victory in five innings against Colorado Mines in the final game.

Dani Fonseca earned the complete game victory against the Orediggers and hit a grand slam as part of a 10-run second inning for the Mountain Lions. It was her 13th home run of the season and moved her into a tie for seventh in UCCS season records.

Fonseca drew a walk to restart last night's game against Fort Lewis and load the bases with two outs.  The Skyhawks finished the game with a called strike three to secure the 4-3 win to start the day.

Fort Lewis continued the momentum in the next game and took a 7-1 lead after the top of the third inning. Kylie Barnard placed a single into right field to score Nikki Hoffman and Fonseca in the bottom of the third, and then Lexi Belligan used another 2-RBI single to left field in the fifth inning to pull the Mountain Lions within two runs at 7-5.

Whitney Weber scored in the sixth inning, and then the Mountain Lions took advantage of an error by the Skyhawk shortstop to score Fonseca and Hoffman again for an 8-7 lead. Hayley Miller used 10 pitches in the top of the seventh to record a fly out, ground out and line out and secure the first win of the day for the Mountain Lions.

UCCS and Colorado Mines started the last game of the weekend under the lights and the Mountain Lions took the early 2-0 lead in the first inning with back-to-back-to-back hits from the first three batters. Makenna Smith and Claire Nibbe both earned walks to start the second inning, and Weber put down a bunt and beat the throw to load the bases. Hoffman and Jennings both singled to left field to score one run each, and kept the bases loaded for Fonseca's grand slam to push the Mountain Lion lead to 8-0.

The Mountain Lions scored four more runs in the second inning with two outs with Belligan, Smith and Nibbe all scoring to push the advantage to 12-0. The Orediggers broke the shutout with two runs in the third inning. Fonseca scored her fifth run on the day in the bottom of the third for a 13-2 Mountain Lion lead. 

Fonseca struck out three Orediggers in the fourth inning as UCCS took the 13-2 lead into the fifth. Colorado Mines hit a three-run home run to cut the lead down to 13-5 before a ground out secured the third run-rule victory of the season for UCCS.

The Mountain Lions improved to eighth in the RMAC standings with today's results and will finish the regular season April 25-26 at Black Hills State. The top eight teams in the conference standings will advance to the postseason tournament to be played at the regular season champion's campus.