COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team put together a strong all-around performance to come away with a pair of victories against Black Hills State University on Friday at Mountain Lion Field. Despite playing on their home turf, UCCS was designated as the visiting team due to the series being rescheduled from its original location in Spearfish. S.D.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 6, BHSU 5 | Game 2: UCCS 7, BHSU 5
Records: UCCS (7-5, 5-1 RMAC), BHSU (2-4, 2-4 RMAC)
Location: Mountain Lion Field | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions extend their winning streak over the Yellow Jackets to 15 consecutive games and improve their record to 29-15 all-time against BHSU.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- After sophomore Mia Perez reached base via walk, redshirt junior Sawyer Brewster wasted little time putting a crooked number on the board in the top of the first inning as she lined a two-out home run over the left field fence to give the Mountain Lions an early 2-0 advantage.
- With the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning, an error off the glove of Brewster on a hard-hit ball in her direction at third base resulted in a pair of unearned runs and allowed Black Hills State to even the game up at two.
- The Mountain Lions would regain the lead, 3-2, in the top of the fourth inning when redshirt senior Courtnie Heller slammed her first home run of the season on an opposite field drive out to deep left field.
- An RBI single off the bat of Solana Martinez in the sixth inning and a two-run home run by Peyton Reisman in the seventh provided UCCS with some insurance runs as they headed to the bottom of the seventh inning holding a 6-2 lead.
- BHSU would mount a two-out rally in the final frame, using a three-run home run from Bayleigh Hubbard to get within one run of the Mountain Lions, but UCCS pitcher Braelyne Crenshaw managed to escape the inning with a strikeout to finish the complete game and lock down a 6-5 win.
STATS FROM GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions totaled ten hits in the first game of the doubleheader, led by Brewster and Paige White with two each. UCCS hitters were also patient at the plate, drawing five walks against Yellow Jacket pitching.
- Brewster and Peyton Reisman paced the team with a pair of RBIs each, followed by Heller and Martinez with one RBI apiece.
- Crenshaw was spectacular inside the circle, tossing a complete game and allowing just three earned runs while striking out a career-high 13 batters. The redshirt junior's second complete game of the season was good enough to earn the win and move her record to 3-2 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- Following a first inning that saw the Mountain Lions go down in order with three strikeouts, Brewster and White started off the top of the second inning with back-to-back doubles to get UCCS on the board first. Freshman Cassidy Hubner would cash in another run with an RBI single to center field to put the Mountain Lions up 2-0.
- Black Hills State got one run back with a solo shot by pitcher Shayla Tuschen in the bottom half of the second, but the Mountain Lion's power stroke came to life in the top of third as a solo shot from Morgan Hernandez-Belew and a two-run blast by White pushed the UCCS advantage to 5-1.
- Another run would cross the plate for the Yellow Jackets in their half of the third on an RBI single by Lizzy Johnson, but UCCS was again quick to find a response as a sacrifice fly from Mia Perez scored freshman Brianna Mattos to keep the Mountain Lion lead at four runs, 6-2.
- Brewster continued her hot day at the plate in the top of the fifth inning as she lifted her second home run of the day out to center field, making it a 7-3 game in favor of UCCS.
- In the bottom half of the inning, the Yellow Jacket's game one starting pitcher Crystal Amaral hammered a moonshot to center field for a two-run home run that cut the Mountain Lion's lead to just two runs, 7-5.
- With the UCCS lead still at 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh, the Yellow Jackets would threaten with yet another late rally as they put runners on second and third with two outs and Amaral back up at the plate. Crenshaw, who had come in to pitch in to start the sixth inning, made quick work of Amaral with the third strikeout of her second outing of the day to claim the save.
STATS FROM GAME TWO
- For a second straight game, UCCS registered ten hits as a team and saw eight of the nine starters record at least one hit. Brewster and White once again led the team with two hits each, while White also paced the Mountain Lions with three RBIs.
- Junior Lexi Rayburn drew the start inside the circle for UCCS, going 3.2 innings and taking a no-decision as she allowed four hits and two runs while punching out two hitters.
- Coming on in relief of Rayburn was freshman Mackenzie Rutkoff, who picked up the first win of her collegiate career while giving up two earned runs in 1.1 innings pitched.
- Crenshaw held the Yellow Jackets scoreless over the final two innings of the game to earn the fourth save of her career.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With 16 total strikeouts across her two pitching appearances today, Crenshaw moves into eighth place all-time in program history with 201 in her career and sits just six away from surpassing Amanda Ritchie for the seventh most in the UCCS record book.
- UCCS cracked six home runs on the day to bring their season total to 14. Freshman Paige White leads the team with four home runs this season, followed by Sawyer Brewster, Morgan Hernandez-Belew, and Peyton Reisman with three each.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will look to pick up a series win as they get set to play another doubleheader with the Yellow Jackets tomorrow with the first game starting at 11 a.m.
SOCIAL
Twitter – @GoMountainLions
Instagram – @gomountainlions
