GOLDEN, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs senior
Dani Fonseca hit home run No. 11 of the season in the first game and pitched her first shutout of the season in the second game as the Mountain Lions (17-17, 14-15 RMAC) split with Colorado Mines (15-20, 13-14 RMAC) at the CSM Softball Field. The Orediggers won the first game 3-2 and the Mountain Lions earned the 3-0 win in the second game.
Both pitchers kept the other team off the scoreboard through the first three innings of the morning game, and the Orediggers retired the Mountain Lions in order in the top of the fourth. Colorado Mines earned two hits in the bottom of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead, and then took advantage of an error in the outfield to push the score to 3-0.
Fonseca hit her home run on the first pitch of the sixth inning to put UCCS on the board at 3-1. It was career home run No. 35 for the senior and moved her within four home runs of fourth in program records. The Mountain Lions continued its offensive push in the seventh inning with
Nikki Hoffman's two-out single to score
Amanda Nobles from second, but a ground out to first base for the next batter ended the game in a 3-2 decision for Colorado Mines.
The Mountain Lions loaded the bases in the first inning of the second game with the help of a pair of two-out walks, but the scoreboard remained the same as the first game with a 0-0 contest through the first three innings.
Jordyn Cusimano led off the fourth inning with a single up the middle, and reached third after Nobles singled on a bunt and
Whitney Weber drew a walk. Hoffman earned her second RBI of the day with a ground out to score Cusimano, and Fonseca drove in two runs with a double to right center field and built a 3-0 lead against the Orediggers.
The UCCS defense allowed only five Colorado Mines batters to reach base in the next three innings, and Fonseca only needed five pitches in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 3-0 shutout and finish the day. It was her second shutout of her career and she improved to 6-5 on the season.
Fonseca,
Lexi Belligan and
Makenna Smith each finished with two hits in the second game, and seven of the nine members of the batting order earned a hit. The 10 hits for the Mountain Lions were the most in a road game since March 5 at Colorado State-Pueblo, and the team is one win away from matching last year's win total with 10 games left in the regular season.
UCCS and Colorado Mines will finish the series with a doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.