LUBBOCK, Texas – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team dropped their final two games at the LCU Softball Classic as they were defeated by Eastern New Mexico University, 8-5, before losing 8-0 at the hands of No. 4 West Texas A&M University.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game One: UCCS 5, ENMU 8 | Game Two: UCCS 0, WTAMU 8
Records: UCCS (2-4, 0-0 RMAC) | ENMU (6-3, 0-0 LSC) | WTAMU (6-2, 0-0 LSC)
Location: PlainsCapital Park | Lubbock, Texas
All-Time Series: UCCS falls to 2-1 all-time against Eastern New Mexico and 0-6 historically against West Texas A&M.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- After a scoreless first inning from both sides, catcher Paige White started the top of the second inning by lifting her second home run of the season out to left field to put the Mountain Lions ahead 1-0.
- The Mountain Lions managed to tack on a another run in the fourth inning as a wild pitch by Greyhounds pitcher Brook Leger brought home pinch-runner Bryn Horton to push the UCCS advantage to 2-0.
- Junior Lexi Rayburn made the start inside the circle for UCCS and cruised through the first four innings of the game, holding the Greyhounds scoreless with just a pair of hits. Rayburn would run into trouble in the fifth as she gave up a pair of singles to begin the inning, but junior Gabrielle Cronin came on in relief to get out of the jam and keep ENMU off the scoreboard.
- With two outs in the top of the sixth, back-to-back doubles from Sawyer Brewster and White helped UCCS plate an insurance run and extend the lead to 3-0.
- The Mountain Lion's three run lead would unravel in the bottom half of the sixth, as the Greyhounds put together an eight-run inning consisting of five hits, four walks and two errors to jump ahead 8-3.
- UCCS mounted a two-out comeback effort in the seventh inning with three straight hits bringing home two runs and cutting the ENMU lead to 8-5, but the rally would end there as the Greyhounds recorded the final out to take the win.
STATS FROM GAME ONE
- Brewster and White led the Mountain Lions with two hits each, with White also leading the team with two RBIs.
- Five different Mountain Lions scored runs, including Morgan Hernandez-Belew, Brianna Jennings, Horton, Brewster and White.
- Rayburn made her first start of the season in the circle and posted a scoreless outing over 4.1 innings pitched, allowing just four hits and fanning five hitters.
- Cronin struggled in her one inning, allowing seven runs (five earned) on four hits with three walks.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The No. 4 nationally ranked Lady Buffs were in control of the game from the start as they got on the board first with an RBI single from Julie Guzman in the second inning.
- WTAMU added a pair of runs in each of the third and fourth innings before ending the game via run-rule with three more runs in the sixth inning.
- The Mountain Lions were stymied by the West Texas A&M pitching staff, with Emilee Wilson (4 IP, 6K) and Heidi Vortherms (2 IP, 4K) combining to throw six shutout innings and hold UCCS to just two hits for the game.
STATS FROM GAME TWO
- Freshmen Paige White and Sydney King were the only Mountain Lions to reach base against the WTAMU pitching, recording one single each.
- Pitcher Braelyne Crenshaw took the loss, giving up eight earned runs in her 5.2 innings pitched. The redshirt junior punched out three hitters while allowing 14 hits and one walk.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will have next weekend off before they return home to open their conference slate against Chadron State College on Saturday, Feb. 26 at Mountain Lion Field.
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.
