DENVER, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team defeated Metropolitan State University Denver 11-10 in extra innings in the first game of Sunday's twin bill before dropping the series finale with the Roadrunners by a score of 9-1.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 11, MSUD 10 | Game 2: UCCS 1, MSUD 9
Records: UCCS (19-17, 17-11 RMAC), MSUD (29-14, 17-9 RMAC)
Location: MSUD Regency Athletic Complex | Denver, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions move to 21-34 all-time against the Roadrunners.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- For a third consecutive game in the series, UCCS managed to get on the board in the top of the first inning. Back-to-back doubles by sophomore Mia Perez and junior Solana Martinez plated the first run, then freshman Paige White added another run with an RBI single that brought Martinez in to score and gave the Mountain Lions an early 2-0 cushion.
- After MSU Denver cut the lead in half with an RBI single by Miah Hartvigsen in the bottom half of the second, the Mountain Lions responded with four runs in their half of the third inning to grab a five-run advantage. With runners on second and third and two outs in the inning, White came up big at the plate once again with a two RBI double that made it 4-1. Redshirt junior Peyton Reisman followed with an RBI double of her own and was brought around to score on a single through the left side from Courtnie Heller, extending the UCCS advantage to 6-1.
- Hartvigsen continued her success against the Mountain Lions in the bottom half of the fourth inning as she drove in two more runs with a double to right field, cutting the Roadrunners deficit to three runs at 6-3.
- UCCS did not waste any time getting those runs back as freshman Makena Geist slammed the first home run of her collegiate career on a drive to right field that just snuck over the fence, pushing the Mountain Lion lead back to six runs, 9-3.
- A two-out error by Reisman at first base extended the bottom half of the fifth inning, and it turned out to be a costly mishap as the Roadrunners went on to rattle off four consecutive hits and bring home six runs in the inning to tie the game at nine.
- The Mountain Lions would regain a one run lead in their half of the seventh inning on an RBI double by Morgan Hernandez-Belew, but MSU Denver matched UCCS with a run in their half of the inning to force extra innings with the score tied at 10-10.
- A leadoff double by redshirt junior Sawyer Brewster followed by a walk and a hit by pitch set the Mountain Lions up with a bases loaded situation with nobody out to begin the eighth inning. After the next two UCCS hitters were retired without bringing home a run, redshirt junior Bryn Horton worked a great at bat as she drew a walk to force home the go ahead run and make it an 11-10 Mountain Lion lead.
- The Roadrunners would get a runner to second base in the bottom half of the inning as they attempted to tie the game once again, but this time pitcher Lexi Rayburn painted a beautiful called third strike on MSU Denver center fielder Shelby Robb to record the final out of an 11-10 victory.
STATS FROM GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lion bats game to life in the third game of the series with MSU Denver as they pounded out 16 hits and drew five walks.
- Each of the top six batters in the UCCS lineup recorded multi-hit games, led by sophomore Mia Perez who notched her first four hit game of the season.
- Freshmen Paige White and Makena Geist led the team with three RBIs each as White went 2-for-4 in the game and Geist hit a three-run home run in her lone at-bat.
- Redshirt junior Braelyne Crenshaw got the start inside the circle and pitched 4.2 innings while surrendering seven runs (three earned) with one strikeout.
- Freshman Mackenzie Rutkoff entered the game in the fifth inning in relief of Crenshaw, going 1.2 innings while allowing three earned runs to cross the plate.
- Junior Lexi Rayburn (8-4) came on to pitch the final 1.2 innings and managed to keep the Roadrunners off the board to earn her eighth win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions and Roadrunners traded solo home runs early in the series finale with Morgan Hernandez-Belew leading off the first inning with a round-tripper to left field before MSU Denver catcher Jaiden Geist tied the game at one with a deep home run of her own in the second inning.
- Geist was right back at it in her next plate appearance for the Roadrunners in the bottom of the third inning, lifting an RBI double to right field to give her team a 2-1 advantage.
- The MSU Denver lead grew larger in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Roadrunners took advantage of a two-out error by Brewster at third base to plate three unearned runs and make it a 5-1 contest.
- An RBI triple by Kami Grammerstorf and a subsequent fielding error at second base by Hernandez-Belew brought home two more runs for the Roadrunners in the home half of the fifth, extending their lead to 7-1.
- After the leadoff home run by Hernandez-Belew, MSU Denver pitcher Sarah Norton settled in to hold the Mountain Lions off the scoreboard through her six innings pitched. A double by Grammerstorf in the bottom half of the sixth would bring home the final two runs of the game as the Roadrunners walked away with a 9-1 run-rule victory and a series win.
STATS FROM GAME TWO
- UCCS was held to juts four hits in the final game of the series as they were shut down by Norton for the entirety of the contest.
- Hernandez-Belew recorded the lone RBI of the game with her leadoff solo home run.
- Game one winner Lexi Rayburn (8-5) took the loss in game two as she gave up six runs (three earned) over four innings pitched.
- Junior Gabrielle Cronin came on to pitch the final 1.2 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) while striking out three hitters.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Perez's four-hit performance in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader was the sixth time this season that a Mountain Lion hitter has recorded four or more hits in a single contest.
UP NEXT
- After spending the last two weeks on the road, the Mountain Lions will return home to take on Colorado Mesa University for a four-game series beginning with a doubleheader at 12 p.m. on April 15.
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.
