COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –
Melissa Martinek went a combined four-of-seven in today's games with her second home run of the season, but the University of Colorado Colorado Springs couldn't keep pace with Colorado School of Mines in a pair of losses today at Mountain Lion Field. UCCS (3-14, 2-10 RMAC) fell in a 10-4 decision in the first game and in a 7-3 game in the series finale.
Colorado Mines hit a two-run home run in the first inning in an early 2-0 lead in game one. The Mountain Lions scored three runs with two outs in the second inning for a 3-2 lead after runs from
Meghan Waidler,
Makenna Smith and
Claire Nibbe. The Orediggers retook the lead with a five-run fifth inning and recorded three extra-base hits among the five hits.
Colorado Mines extended its lead with two runs in the sixth, and UCCS used back-to-back doubles to cut the lead down to 10-4 in the bottom half of the inning. The Mountain Lions retired the Orediggers in order in the top of the seventh and started the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles from Martinek and
Whitney Weber. Colorado Mines replaced its pitcher and used a pop-out to second base and a double play to end the Mountain Lion comeback in the 10-4 game.
Martinek hit her home run to lead off the bottom of the first inning in the second game after Mines put two runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. The Orediggers put back-to-back hits together to start the second inning to open a 3-1 lead and used a two-run home run in the fourth for a 5-1 advantage.
Mines and UCCS exchanged solo home runs in the fifth inning with
Nikki Hoffman hitting her first of the season to make it a 6-2 game. Mines scored one more run in the sixth and Hoffman scored her second run of the game in the seventh on a two-out double from
Makenna Smith, but a strikeout ended the game in a 7-3 decision.
Martinek hit three of her four hits today in the first game and Smith finished a combined three-for-six at the plate. Hoffman went two-for-three in the second game with her home run and a double in the seventh.
Christina Patton took the loss in the first game and Waidler was charged for the loss in the second game.
UCCS will travel to Colorado Mesa for a four-game series March 18-19 in Grand Junction, Colo. The Mavericks (16-4, 9-1 RMAC) swept New Mexico Highlands this weekend.
