LUBBOCK, Texas –
Cami Duffey pitched five innings to hold University of Texas-Permian Basin to two earned runs on five hits to help the University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team to a 14-3 win in five complete innings at the Lubbock Christian University Invitational in Lubbock, Texas at PlainsCapital Park. The Mountain Lions earned a split on the opening day of the Invitational, falling to West Texas A&M earlier in the day, 12-4 (five innings).
The bats were on fire against UTPB as the Mountain Lions accounted for 19 hits, including six extra base hits.
UCCS started the night cap game with three runs in the top of the first inning. The first two batters flied out before
Rayle Glover hit a single homerun over the centerfield field fence for the first score of the night. Peyton Romines,
Taylor Reidhead and
Alex Cook each singled to reach base. Cook's hit up the middle scored Romines, followed by
Meghan Waidler's single that scored Reidhead for the third run of the inning.
UTPB notched one run in the bottom of the first inning, but the Mountain Lions quickly responded with three more runs in the second inning.
Melissa Martinek found a hole in right field for a double that scored
Leigh Lancaster and
Amanda Nobles. With runners on second and third base and two outs, Cook hit singled to the left side to score Martinek and give UCCS a 6-2 lead after two complete innings.
Both runs in the third inning were scored on Martinek's triple that plated Lancaster and
Lexi Andersen.
UTPB hit a dinger to center field in the bottom of the third inning for their third and final run of the game.
UCCS broke open the game in the top of the fourth inning, plating six runs on six hits. Three of the Mountain Lions six hits were extra base hits by Cooke (triple), Waidler (double) and Glover (double).
The Mountain Lions recorded multiple season highs against the Falcons, including at-bats (33), runs scored (14), hits (19), runs batted in (13) and total bases (29).
In the weekend opener, the Buffs started the inning with a run in the top of the first inning, but the Mountain Lions matched the run in the bottom of the first to knot the game, 1-1. With the first two batters grounding out, Martinek hit a single up the middle to reach first base. Glover followed with a double to left center to plate Martinek and even the score at 1-1.
West Texas added three runs in the second inning to take a 4-1 lead.
Sierra Batchelor hit a double to left center that scored Romines from first base to cut into WT's lead, 4-2, after two innings.
The Buffs carded a grand slam in the top of the third inning and added four more runs over the course of the fourth and fifth innings to post a 12-2 lead.
Nobles led off the fifth inning for UCCS with a single. Two batters and two outs later, Glover drew a walk to put two runners on base. Reidhead made it to first base after a dropped fly ball to left field, resulting in Glover and Nobles adding the final two runs for the Mountain Lions.
Nobles notched two of the Mountain Lions six hits against WT, adding a run and RBI. Glover went 1-for-2 with a run scored and RBI.
Reidhead took the loss in the circle, pitching the first two and one-third innings, allowing eight runs on four hits. Braelyn Crenshaw closed the game, holding WT to one earned run on five hits.
The Mountain Lions will return to PlainsCapital Park on Monday to face Lubbock Christian University at 12 p.m. (MT), and West Texas A&M at 2 p.m.
