OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. –
Courtnie Heller hit two out-of-the park home runs Saturday afternoon to lead the University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team to a 5-4 win over Oklahoma Christian University at Tom Heath Field. The Mountain Lions dropped the night cap on a walk off single to Northeastern State, 3-2.
Against OCU, the Mountain Lions dug out of a 4-0 deficit to earn their first win of the weekend. Heading into the sixth inning down, 4-0, Heller hit her first of two home runs when she led off the inning with a single shot to right field.
Alex Cook followed with a double down the left field line and was backed up at first base by
Payton Romines.
Solana Martinez hit a fly ball to right field for the second out of the inning but was able to move Cook to third base.
Meghan Waidler made an appearance in the game as a pinch hitter for
Bryn Horton and was successful with a single up the middle to score Cook. After a pitching change,
Saleen Quinonez continued the hitting spree for the Mountain Lions when her single plated Horton and Romines to knot the game at 4-4.
UCCS' defense held OCU to three-up, three-down in the bottom half the inning, keeping the game tied at 4-4. After the Mountain Lions went through the lineup in the sixth inning, Heller again led off the final inning with a home run and the eventual game-winning run, 5-4.
OCU had a chance to come back and tie the game with one out and bases loaded, but Horton notched the final two outs of the game in right field to seal the win.
Cook paced the Mountain Lions offense against OCU, going 3-for-4 with one run scored. Santos, Quinonez and Heller also tallied two hits each as UCCS finished with 11 hits in the game.
Braelyne Crenshaw earned her third win of the season. Crenshaw pitched a complete game, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits.
Against Northeastern State in the nightcap game, Heller again came up big for UCCS and put them in a position for their second straight win.
Down 2-1 to start the seventh inning with one out and Santos and Reisman on the corners, Heller hit a single to center field to score Santos for the game-tying run. A fielder's choice on Cook forced the second out at third base before the Mountain Lions ended the inning on a strikeout.
In the bottom half of the inning, NSU's Alyssia Crick hit a walk-off single to score teammate Addie Elbon from second base to hand UCCS a 3-2 loss.
Quinonez and White each posted two hits as UCCS finished the game with eight hits.
Cami Duffey pitched all 6.1 innings and held NSU to five hits.
The Mountain Lions will wrap up the weekend on Sunday at 11 a.m. (MT) against Lubbock Christian University.
