LUBBOCK, Texas – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team ran into a buzzsaw in their first game of the LCU Classic as they were no-hit by Oklahoma Baptist University in a 2-0 defeat before using a late three-run home run from
Peyton Reisman to bounce back in game two with a 4-2 comeback win over University of Nebraska-Kearney.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game One: UCCS 0, OBU 2 | Game Two: UCCS 4, UNK 2
Records: UCCS (2-2, 0-0 RMAC) | OBU (6-3, 0-0 GAC) | UNK (1-2, 0-0 MIAA)
Location: Lubbock Christian High School | Lubbock, Texas
All-Time Series: UCCS moves to 0-1 all-time against Oklahoma Baptist, while maintaining a perfect 3-0 record against the Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- In what turned out to be a pitcher's duel, UCCS starting pitcher Braelyne Crenshaw and OBU starting pitcher Kayleigh Jones matched each other with a pair of scoreless innings to begin the ballgame.
- With one out in the top of the third inning, the Mountain Lion's defense hit a rough patch as they committed three consecutive errors on the left side of the infield, allowing the Bison to get on the board first with a 1-0 lead. With a run across and two runners on the basepaths, Crenshaw managed to pick up her defense and retire the next two batters on a strikeout and a fly out to keep the deficit at just one run.
- After the UCCS offense went down in order in both the third and fourth innings against Jones, Oklahoma Baptist mounted another offensive threat in the top of the fifth inning as a walk and two singles loaded the bases without any outs. Crenshaw would bear down once again to strikeout Sammie Greene for the first out of the inning before inducing a ground ball right back at her for an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.
- The closest resemblance of an offensive rally for the Mountain Lions in their first game of the day came in their half of the fifth inning when Courtnie Heller worked an eight-pitch at-bat to reach base via walk. The rally would be short-lived, however, as a double play off the bat of Peyton Reisman would quickly erase the UCCS baserunner and send the game to the sixth inning with the Mountain Lions still trailing by a run.
- OBU would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh with another unearned run crossing the plate due to three more fielding errors in the infield, taking a 2-0 lead to the bottom of the seventh with the Mountain Lions still in search of their first hit of the game.
- Jones made quick work of UCCS in the seventh to close out the complete game no-hitter and earn the 2-0 victory for the Bison.
STATS FROM GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions offense was held scoreless and was unable to muster a hit off Jones. Sawyer Brewster and Heller each recorded one walk as the only two baserunners of the game for UCCS.
- A hard-luck loser, Crenshaw turned in a stellar performance against the Bison, throwing seven complete innings while allowing just two unearned runs and striking out nine batters.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The Lopers took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as a UCCS throwing error allowed an unearned run to cross the plate. UNK added another run with a sacrifice fly from Avery Wood in the second inning to push their lead to 2-0.
- Offensively, the Mountain Lion's struggles from game one carried over to the early innings of game two as they were held scoreless with just two hits over the first four innings by UNK starting pitcher Madison Rosenthal.
- The Mountain Lions would mount a rally in their half of the fifth as a walk by Morgan Hernandez-Belew to lead off the inning followed by back-to-back singles from pinch hitters Brianna Jennings and Sawyer Brewster loaded the bases, and a subsequent sacrifice fly off the bat of Mia Perez plated Hernandez-Belew to cut the deficit to 2-1.
- After Briana Mattos put down a successful sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with two outs, Peyton Reisman came up with the biggest hit of the day, slamming a three-run home run over the right field fence to give the Mountain Lions a 4-2 lead.
- Now protecting a two-run lead, UCCS starting pitcher Gabrielle Cronin continued her solid outing inside the circle with a scoreless sixth inning before turning it over to freshman Mackenzie Rutkoff, who recorded the final three outs to close out the win for the Mountain Lions.
STATS FROM GAME TWO
- UCCS recorded eight hits in game two of the doubleheader, including a pair of extra base hits.
- Reisman led the Mountain Lions with two hits and three RBIs in three trips to the plate, while six other UCCS players tallied one hit each.
- Cronin pitched six solid innings inside the circle to earn her first win of the season. The junior allowed just one earned run and five hits with four strikeouts.
- Rutkoff entered the game in relief of Cronin and tossed a perfect seventh inning to earn the first save of her collegiate career.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Crenshaw's nine strikeouts in game one against Oklahoma Baptist were just one shy of her career-high of ten, established last season against MSU Denver.
- The six errors committed by the Mountain Lions against OBU were the most in a single game since March 13, 2016, against Colorado Mesa University.
- Reisman currently leads UCCS with two home runs and seven RBIs over the first four games of the season.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will continue tournament action at the LCU Softball Classic tomorrow as they take on Eastern New Mexico at 10 a.m. and West Texas A&M at 12 p.m.
SOCIAL
Twitter – @GoMountainLions
Instagram – @gomountainlions
Facebook – GoMountainLions
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
