COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A season high 11 runs, 11 runs batted in and 36 at-bats helped the University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team earn an 11-6 win Saturday afternoon in the series finale against Colorado School of Mines at Mountain Lion Field in Colorado Springs, Colo. UCCS fell in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, 13-4 in five innings.
The win prevented the series sweep by the Orediggers (6-7, 3-1 RMAC) and improved UCCS' record to 5-10 on the year (1-3 RMAC).
Cami Duffey earned her first win in the circle after pitching the first 5.1 innings. Duffey allowed three earned runs on eight hits.
Brianna Santos started strong for the Mountain Lions in the series finale, leading off the game with a triple down the right field line. The next batter,
Saleen Quinonez, hit a sac fly to center field to drive in Santos. CSM responded with an unearned run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 1-1.
UCCS added three more runs in the second inning.
Taylor White led off the inning with a walk. Two batters and two outs later,
Peyton Reisman was hit by a pitch, moving White to third base.
Bryn Horton struck out swinging but safely reached first base to load the bases after a muffed ball in the dirt. Santos hit her second straight triple of the game to extend the Mountain Lions lead to 4-1.
Cook hit her first home run of the season to lead off the third inning when she went yard over the left field fence to score the lone run of the inning.
Leading 5-1 after four complete innings, White tallied an RBI off a single to score Cook in the fifth outing.
For the fourth time in the game, the Mountain Lions led off the inning with a triple or home run. This time Reisman started off the sixth inning with her fourth home run of the season, giving UCCS a 7-2 lead.
The Orediggers started to mount their comeback in the sixth behind three runs, three hits and two errors. Trailing 7-5, the Mountain Lions defense forced the third out at third base as Mines stranded three runners.
UCCS built in a cushion in the top of the seventh inning, scoring four runs on five hits, including a home run and two doubles. Reisman hit her second home run of the game to score
Payton Romines, as Santos and Cook each hit doubles.
Santos finished the game with a game high four hits, three of which were extra base hits (two triples, one double). Santos and Reisman each drove in three runs. Reisman accounted for two hits and scored three runs while Cook went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI.
Sydney Marchando led CSM with three runs, two hits and a run batted in.
The Mountain Lions started Saturday with a 13-4, five-inning setback. UCCS snagged four runs in the first inning on two hits, an error and three hit batters. With two outs on the scoreboard and Santos on second base,
Courtnie Heller and
Alex Cook were each hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Solana Martinez brought home Santos off a single to right field. Reisman was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in Heller. Martinez and Cook took advantage of a throwing error after Romines plate appearance for the fourth run of the inning.
Leading the Orediggers 4-1 heading into the bottom of the second, CSM took the lead when they smashed three hits for four runs, one of which was a three-run home run. The Orediggers would finish the final two innings outscoring UCCS 8-0 and 6-2 in hits.
Braelyne Crenshaw suffered the loss in the circle, moving to 4-4 on the season. Crenshaw allotted eight earned runs on nine hits in 2.2 innings.
The Mountain Lions are scheduled to travel to New Mexico Highlands University Feb. 29 and March 1 for a four-game series in Las Vegas, N.M.
