LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team dropped a pair of competitive non-conference games in Lakewood, Colo., on Wednesday afternoon as Colorado Christian University edged the Mountain Lions 7-6 in the first game of the doubleheader before using a late-inning rally to take a 7-4 win in game two.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 6, CCU 7 | Game 2: UCCS 4, CCU 7
Records: UCCS (12-12, 10-6 RMAC), CCU (25-5, 13-1 RMAC)
Location: All Star Park | Lakewood, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions fall to 14-15 all-time against the Cougars.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- The Cougars cracked the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning as an RBI single and a throwing error by UCCS catcher Paige White on a stolen base attempt led to two runs for CCU.
- In the top of the third inning, a pair of singles and a walk would put the Mountain Lions in a prime run-scoring spot with the bases loaded and just one out. A sacrifice fly from Solana Martinez put UCCS on the board before Sawyer Brewster cleared the bases with a three-run home run to give the Mountain Lions a 4-2 lead.
- The UCCS lead would not last long as CCU scratched across a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to even the game at four.
- Following a scoreless fourth and fifth inning for both sides, an RBI double by Briana Mattos and an RBI single from Mia Perez broke the scoreless streak in the top of the sixth and gave the Mountain Lions a 6-4 advantage.
- Once again, the Cougars managed to find a quick response as they pulled together four hits in the bottom half of the sixth inning, including a go-ahead two-RBI double by senior Piper Lujan that changed the lead in their favor at 7-6.
- The Mountain Lions managed to load the bases in the top of the seventh with a pair of singles and a batter reaching on an error, but their attempt to tie or take the lead in the game was thwarted as Briana Mattos and Bryn Horton were set down on strikes to end the game.
STATS FROM GAME ONE
- UCCS recorded 12 hits in the first game of the doubleheader, including three extra base hits.
- Perez was a tough out at the plate in game one, going 3-for-3 with three singles and a walk to reach base in each of her four plate appearances.
- Mattos and Peyton Reisman also posted multi-hit games for the Mountain Lions with a pair of hits each.
- Braelyne Crenshaw (3-7) threw her sixth complete game of the season but took the loss as she allowed seven runs (five earned) on 14 hits with six strikeouts across her six innings pitched.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- Both starting pitchers were at the top of their game to begin the second day of the game, holding their opponents scoreless for the first two innings of the ballgame.
- Colorado Christian would get the scoring started in their half of the third inning, when senior Sydney Reamer laced a triple over center fielder Mia Perez's head to score Kenzie Middleton and give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
- With two outs in the fourth and Martinez on first base after leading off the inning with a single, redshirt junior Peyton Reisman lifted a 2-0 pitch over the center field fence to give UCCS their first lead of the game at 2-1.
- The Cougars snatched the lead back from UCCS in the bottom half of the fifth inning, using a two-RBI triple by Sami Edwards and a sacrifice fly from Reamer to score three runs and grab a 4-2 advantage.
- The Mountain Lions would open the top of the sixth inning with three straight hits including an RBI single by Reisman to bring UCCS within a run at 4-3. After a walk by Briana Mattos loaded the bases with two outs, pinch-hitter Courtnie Heller worked an excellent at-bat to draw a run-scoring walk and tie the game at four. The next batter, Mia Perez, would ground out to shortstop to the end the Mountain Lion's threat in the sixth inning.
- UCCS starting pitcher Lexi Rayburn would retire the first two CCU batters in the bottom half of the sixth inning but put the next two hitters on base with a walk and a hit batter. The Cougars took advantage of the two-out free passes as the next two hitters recorded singles, resulting in three runs and a 7-4 lead for CCU.
- Colorado Christian relief pitcher Sydney Rawlings set the Mountain Lions down in order in the top of the seventh to hand the Mountain Lions the 7-4 defeat.
STATS FROM GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions managed just seven hits in game two, four of which coming from Solana Martinez and Peyton Reisman with two hits each.
- Reisman also drove in three of the Mountain Lion's four runs in the game with her two-run home run in the fourth inning and RBI single in the sixth.
- Lexi Rayburn falls to 5-3 for the season after taking the loss in a complete game effort in which she surrendered seven earned runs and nine hits in six innings pitched.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Brewster's home run in the first game of the day marked four straight games with a round-tripper and her team-leading tenth home run of the season. The redshirt junior's previous season-high in the home run category was seven, reaching that mark in 2019 and 2021.
- Reisman has hit safely in seven straight games and has recorded a .440 batting average with three home runs and eight RBIs over that span.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will resume their conference schedule at home on Saturday and Sunday, March 26-27 as they host Adams State University for a four-game series 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.
