COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The University of Colorado Colorado Springs pitching staff combined for 16 strikeouts in today's two games and
Dani Fonseca went four-of-seven at the plate in the two games as the Mountain Lions split today's games in an RMAC pod series. UCCS opened with a 14-10 loss to Colorado Christian before rebounding with a 6-3 win against Western New Mexico in the night game.
UCCS went through its lineup in each of the first two innings against the Cougars and opened an 8-2 lead. The Mountain Lions held an 11-2 hit advantage in the two innings while
Stephanie Chitkowski recorded a pair of strikeouts in each of the first four innings. Colorado Christian earned a solo home run in the third inning and scored three runs in the fifth to cut the UCCS lead down to 8-6.
Dani Fonseca hit her seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 9-6 lead, but an eight-run performance by Colorado Christian provided the first Cougar lead of the game at 14-9.
Nikki Hoffman hit her second home run of the year with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Mountain Lions couldn't rally in the 14-10 loss to open the weekend.
UCCS scored 10 or more runs for the third time in the last four games and matched its season-high with 16 hits. Chitkowski set a new season-high with nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings for her longest appearance since Feb. 5, against Nebraska-Kearney.
Western New Mexico led off the second game with back-to-back doubles, but a force out at home and a double play kept the Mustangs off the board. UCCS scored with a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 after three innings. Western New Mexico scored on its own sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth before the Mountain Lions added two runs in the bottom of the inning for a 4-1 advantage.
Amanda Nobles scored in the sixth inning off a single from
Melissa Martinek, and Martinek scored later on a single from Fonseca for a 6-1 lead. The Mustangs scored two runs in the seventh and put the tying run at the plate, but
Haley Smith ended the game with her fifth strikeout of the night and her seventh win of the season.
Martinek, Fonseca and
Lexi Belligan each extended their hitting streaks to 5, 6 and 8 games, respectively. Fonseca also extended her streak of reaching base to 11 straight games.
UCCS will finish the series tomorrow with Wester New Mexico at 10 a.m., and Colorado Christian at 2 p.m.