DURANGO, Colo. – After dropping the first two games of the series yesterday, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team posted a solid bounce back performance as they won twice on Sunday to walk away with a split of their four-game series against Fort Lewis College.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 9, FLC 0 | Game 2: UCCS 8, FLC 7
Records: UCCS (18-14, 16-8 RMAC), FLC (8-25, 8-16 RMAC)
Location: Aspen Field | Durango, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions improve to 44-41 against Fort Lewis all-time and 19-6 against the Skyhawks under head coach
Ricki Rothbauer-Stubbs.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions were gifted an early 1-0 lead as they recorded just one hit in the top of the first inning but took advantage of a Fort Lewis error and two walks, including one issued to Peyton Reisman with the bases loaded, to get on the board first.
- After redshirt junior Bryn Horton reached base via walk, redshirt sophomore Morgan Hernandez-Belew slashed a double to right field to extend the UCCS lead to 2-0.
- The offense continued to roll in the top of the third inning, putting up five runs on four hits and extending the lead to 7-0. Redshirt senior Courtnie Heller got the scoring started in the inning with an RBI double, followed by a sacrifice fly from freshman Briana Mattos that brought home a second run. An RBI single by Hernandez-Belew and a two RBI double from sophomore Mia Perez capped the five-run inning for UCCS.
- UCCS would add two more runs in the top of the fourth inning with an RBI single by Reisman and another sacrifice fly from Mattos giving the Mountain Lions a 9-0 cushion.
- Following four scoreless innings from starter Braelyne Crenshaw, freshman Mackenzie Rutkoff held the Skyhawks off the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth to close out a 9-0 run-rule win.
STATS FROM GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions compiled ten hits in the third game of the series, led by three hits from White.
- Hernandez-Belew and Perez each recorded a pair of hits at the top of the UCCS lineup.
- UCCS combined for five doubles in the game, with one each from White, Hernandez-Belew, Perez, Heller, and Sawyer Brewster.
- Crenshaw (6-8) earned the win after limiting the Skyhawks to just three hits and a walk across four scoreless innings.
- Rutkoff entered the game in relief of Crenshaw and worked through a walk and a hit batter to keep FLC off the scoreboard.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The Skyhawks got the scoring started in their half of the first inning in the series finale as freshman Alex Tenorio hit a leadoff triple and came around to score on an RBI groundout to put Fort Lewis ahead 1-0.
- UCCS got that run back in the top half of the second inning, tying the game at one on an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Briana Mattos.
- Things would go south for UCCS starting pitcher Lexi Rayburn in the bottom half of the second, as the Skyhawks strung together five hits and crossed the plate four times to take a 5-1 lead. Junior Gabrielle Cronin entered the game with two outs in the inning and runners on second and third base and managed to strike out junior Sydney Stewart to end the threat.
- The Mountain Lions responded with a big inning of their own in the top of the fourth, getting three hits and benefitting from two Skyhawk errors to score four times and even the score at five.
- Cronin quickly found herself in trouble in the top of the fourth, however, allowing a run to cross the plate before loading the bases with two outs. The Mountain Lions would turn to Rutkoff to get out of the jam, and the freshman did just that as she recorded the final out of the inning and stranded the bases loaded by getting Cara Daugherty to fly out to left field.
- The Mountain Lion's deficit would be extended in the fifth inning as an RBI triple by Taya Opheim made it a 7-5 game in favor of FLC.
- After Brianna Jennings and Mia Perez singled to put runners on first and second with one out in the sixth inning, Jennings stole third base and came across to score as the throw from the catcher sailed into left field. Two batters later, White punched a ball back up the middle for an RBI single to score Perez and tie the game at seven.
- UCCS played some small ball in the top of the seventh to scratch across a run and take an 8-7 lead. With the first two batters reaching base in the inning, Bryn Horton put down a sac bunt to move the runners to second and third, setting up an RBI groundout by Jennings that put the Mountain Lions ahead.
- Rutkoff allowed one hit in the bottom half of the seventh but stranded the runner on third to finish off a tight 8-7 win for the Mountain Lions.
STATS FROM GAME TWO
- UCCS matched their hit total from the first game of the day with ten hits and had three student-athletes record two-hit games, including Jennings, White and Hubner.
- A pair of freshman, Jennings and Mattos, led the team with two RBIs each in the series finale.
- Rayburn had a tough outing inside the circle, allowing five earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched.
- Cronin pitched the middle innings for UCCS, going 2.0 innings and allowing just one earned run and striking out two hitters.
- Rutkoff (4-1) picked up the win after throwing the final 3.1 innings while giving up just three hits and one earned run with one strikeout.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Mountain Lion's five doubles in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader registered as a season high for the team.
- In game two, freshman Brianna Jennings recorded the first multi-hit game of her collegiate career with a 2-for-4 performance and two RBIs.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will remain on the road as they prepare to battle Metropolitan State University Denver for a four-game series on April 9-10.
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.
