COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For the first time in program history, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team defeated Dixie State University. The Mountain Lions won the series and home opener Friday afternoon against the Trailblazers, 8-5, before falling in game two, 6-3.
Braelyne Crenshaw pitched a complete game to open the series, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and striking out seven batters.
All eight of the Mountain Lions (9-12, 5-5 RMAC) runs were scored in the second inning. DSU (18-6, 6-4 RMAC) took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the inning, but UCCS quickly responded to notch eight runs on seven hits and three errors by the Trailblazers.
Alex Cook led of the inning with a single up to middle. She moved to second base from
Payton Romines single and continued to third base on a throwing error.
Solana Martinez drove in the game-tying run from a single to score Cook.
Taylor Harrison tallied an RBI after her single scored Romines. Santos followed with a single to first base that brought home Martinez. A fielding error by DSU's shortstop put
Meghan Waidler at first base. Trying to make a play at third base, a throwing error by the short stop moved Waidler to second base while Santos and Harrison plated runs to give UCCS a 5-1 lead. With two outs and Cook at the plate for the second time in the inning, the centerfielder hit a three-run shot over the right field fence to boost UCCS' lead to seven runs, 8-1.
Dixie State attempted a come back with three runs in the fifth inning and another run in the sixth as all four scores came by way of two home runs.
Santos accounted for three of the Mountain Lions 10 hits after she went 3-for-4 at the plate with one run scored and an RBI. Cook finished with two hits, three RBI and two runs scored, while Quinonez tallied two hits and a run scored.
In Saturday's second game, DSU again took a 1-0 lead in the second inning off a sacrifice fly. UCCS answered in the bottom half of the inning with two runs after Romines hit a two-run home run that also scored
Taylor White.
A home run by DSU's Malory Eldredge knotted the game at 2-2 until the Trailblazers took a three-run lead in the sixth inning, 5-2 from two hits and two UCCS errors.
A single home run by the Trailblazers in the top of the seventh inning boosted their lead to 6-2, but Romines struck again with her second home run of the game in the bottom of the inning, but the Mountain Lions fell short, 6-3.
Cami Duffey suffered the loss in the circle for UCCS, pitching the first 5.1 innings and allowing three earned runs on three hits.
Lexi Rayburn finished the game, holding DSU to one run on one hit.
Romines led the offense with two hits, three RBI and two runs scored.
Defensively, Reisman made 12 putouts at first base as Santos collected five more in left field.
Both teams will be back in action to play the last two games of the series on Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m.
