SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball struggles to find offense in Saturday's double-header as the Mountain Lions drop a pair of losses to San Francisco State University.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Game 1: UCCS 2, SFSU 13 | Game 2: UCCS 1, SFSU 5
Records: UCCS (1-6, 0-0 RMAC), SFSU (3-0, 0-0 CCAA)
Location: Maloney Field | San Francisco, Calif.
All-Time Series: UCCS now trails in the all-time series 0-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
• From the start, it was San Francisco State who controlled game one from beginning to end as the Gators set the tone out of the gate by scoring three runs in the first inning as two came across unearned after an infield error.
• Down early,
Caleb Stubbings led off the second inning with a single and worked around to score as he advanced to third on a throwing error by the pitcher to set himself up for
Kasey Campbell who brought him in with a groundout to second base, cutting the SFSU lead to 3-1.
• In the bottom of the second, the Gators put up their second three-run inning as the Mountain Lions gave three free passes in the inning by way of two hit by pitches and a walk in addition to SFSU's second triple of the game off the bat of Nick Upstill to extend their lead out to 6-1.
• Facing a five-run deficit, the Mountain Lions chipped away at the SFSU lead once again as
Walker Rumsey found the left field line for an RBI double to drive in
Brandon Bagon for a 6-2 score through three and a half innings of play.
• After San Francisco State made it a short outing for starter
Brian Marquez, the Gators then got after
JJ Rytz in the bottom half of the third by registering seven runs over the course of the next three innings. SFSU strung together seven hits in that timeframe with SFSU's Richie Rios accounting for two of those RBI off a double in the third.
• The Mountain Lions bats stayed silent for the remainder of the game as they left eight runners on-base and fell victim to the Gators who registered five strikeouts in the last three innings to claim the 13-2 win.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
• SFSU outhit UCCS 13-6 with Nick Upstill leading all hitters off a 4-for-5 day that included two triples and two RBI.
• UCCS' six hits came by six different Mountain Lions as
Walker Rumsey finished 1-for-5 with a double and RBI.
• Reliever
Evan Langston tossed three full innings of solid baseball while allowing just one hit and holding the Gators scoreless.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
• Game two told a different story with the first two innings running scoreless as
Jonathan Cowles dug in on the mound and got to work early by registering three strikeouts and forcing a groundball double play in the first to maintain the scoreless tie.
• In the bottom of the third, the first runs of the game crossed home plate with the Gators striking first off two extra base hits and a single causing the damage, including a two-run homerun that helped push SFSU out to a 3-0 lead.
• After being held without a baserunner through the opening three innings,
Walker Rumsey led off the top fourth with a free pass off a hit by pitch and proceeded to put himself in scoring position by striding out and stealing second base with two outs in the inning. From the cleanup spot,
Caleb Stubbings answered the scoring call by sending an RBI single up the middle to bring the game within two runs at 3-1.
• Cowles held strong on the mound through the home half of the fifth as he notched two more strikeouts. But after a 1-2-3 inning by the Mountain Lions in the top of the fifth the Gators swung their way to two insurance runs with a Justin Clark two RBI single giving SFSU the 5-1 lead.
• Down four runs, the Mountain Lions posted their best look at driving in runs and cutting into the deficit as Stubbings recorded his second hit of the game with a leadoff double in the top of the seventh. Three batters later, UCCS loaded up the bases with a walk and hit by pitch but the momentum stopped there after a flyout and groundout closed out the game in favor of SFSU.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
• The Mountain Lions left a game high five runners on base with the Gators outhitting UCCS, 7-3.
• Caleb Stubbings led the Mountain Lions at the plate with a 2-for-3 day as he was responsible for the lone RBI.
•
Jonathan Cowles threw six full innings and received the loss after allowing seven hits and five earned runs. The graduate student also notched nine strikeouts.
• SFSU starter Gary Grosjean walked away with the win by throwing 6.1 innings while striking out eight to hold the Mountain Lions to one run.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
• Jonathan Cowles fanned a total of nine batters in game two for a new career high in strikeouts.
• Caleb Stubbings was responsible for three of the team's nine combined hits on Saturday.
• Eight of UCCS' 13 combined stranded runners on Saturday were left in scoring position.
UP NEXT:
UCCS takes on SFSU in game four of the series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. (MT).
