PUEBLO, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team ended the 2022 regular season on a high note as they swept Saturday's doubleheader against Colorado State University Pueblo to earn the series win.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 8, CSUP 6| Game 2: UCCS 14, CSUP 10
Records: UCCS (26-22, 24-16 RMAC), CSUP (21-24, 17-23 RMAC)
Location: CSUP Rawlings Softball Complex | Pueblo, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions improve to 56-58 all-time against CSU Pueblo.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- After sophomore Mia Perez drew a one out walk in the first inning, junior shortstop Solana Martinez hit a line drive double into the right field corner that brought Perez around to score and gave UCCS an early 1-0 lead.
- The Mountain Lions weren't done in their half of the first inning as redshirt junior Sawyer Brewster reached base via fielders' choice to put a pair of runners on base for Paige White. The freshman catcher would come through with a two-RBI single up the middle, giving UCCS a 3-0 lead before the defense even stepped on the field.
- The bottom of the UCCS lineup flashed their power in the top of the second inning, as redshirt senior Courtnie Heller and sophomore Maddie Unrein cracked back-to-back home runs to lead off the frame, extending the UCCS advantage to 5-0.
- After the ThunderWolves put up two runs in the bottom of the third inning, the Mountain Lions regained their five-run lead with a pair of runs in their half of the fourth. With Perez on base, Martinez hit another liner into the right field corner and the ball rattled around, allowing enough time for her to sprint all the way around the bases for an inside the park home run.
- CSU Pueblo continued to battle in the middle innings as they scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the game close at 7-4 in favor of UCCS.
- In the top of the sixth inning, Brewster added some extra cushion to the UCCS lead as she made it an 8-4 game with an RBI double off the center field wall.
- The ThunderWolves would score a single run in both the sixth and seventh innings, but it was not enough as the Mountain Lions took the lead in the series with an 8-6 win.
STATS FROM GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions recorded 11 hits in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader and had four student-athletes post multi-hit games, led by White with three.
- Martinez led the team with three RBIs and hit the first inside the park home run of the season for the Mountain Lions. White finished just behind Martinez with a pair of RBIs to go along with her three hits.
- Defensively, the UCCS outfielders finished with a pair of outfield assists as Perez threw out a runner at home plate in the fifth inning from center field and right fielder Bryn Horton threw out at second base as they attempted to extend a single into a double.
- Redshirt junior Braelyne Crenshaw earned her ninth win of the season as she tossed the first four innings and allowed four runs (three earned).
- Freshman Mackenzie Rutkoff entered the game in the fifth inning in the circle and proceeded to finish the final three innings of the game while holding the ThunderWolves to two earned runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions got off to a quick start in game two of the twin bill as Morgan Hernandez-Belew led off the game with a walk and Mia Perez followed with a single to put two runners on base without an out. After a fielders' choice groundout by Martinez moved Hernandez-Belew to third base, Brewster hit a fly ball to left field that was deep enough to bring home the runner from third and give UCCS an early 1-0 lead.
- The first three batters reached base for the ThunderWolves to begin the bottom half of the first inning via two singles and a walk, but UCCS pitcher Lexi Rayburn managed to limit the damage to just one run and keep the game in a tie at one.
- CSU Pueblo would take advantage of some shaky infield defense in the second and third inning as they scratched across a pair of unearned runs in each inning to take a 3-1 lead.
- The ThunderWolves continued to tack on runs in the fourth and fifth innings as an RBI single by Delaney Barela brought home one run in the fourth and a home run by Taylor Puga brought home another run in the fifth to make it a 5-1 game in favor of CSU Pueblo.
- The tide would turn in the favor of the Mountain Lions in the top of the sixth inning as the team strung together nine hits and benefitted from a pair of CSU Pueblo errors to score ten runs in the inning and jump ahead to a commanding 11-5 lead.
- In the bottom half of the sixth inning, the ThunderWolves continued to battle as they plated two more runs to cut the UCCS lead to four runs, 11-7.
- Each team scored an additional three runs in the seventh inning, but the Mountain Lions walked away with a 14-10 slugfest victory and a series win.
STATS FROM GAME TWO
- The UCCS offense tied their season-high with 18 hits in the second game and had seven athletes record at least two hits.
- Freshman Cassidy Hubner posted a career-high four hits in the game as she went 4-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
- Peyton Reisman led the team with four RBIs on the afternoon while also slugging the lone home run in game two. Brewster was also had a strong run-producing performance as she drove in three runs.
- Rayburn pitched the first four innings of the ballgame, allowing five runs (three earned) with three strikeouts.
- Junior Gabrielle Cronin pitched the final three innings for the Mountain Lions and allowed five runs to score, none of which were earned, while striking out three batters.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The ten runs scored in the sixth inning of game two is the most scored by the Mountain Lions in any inning this season.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will get set to compete in the RMAC Tournament beginning on Thursday, May 5. The site of competition and final seeding for the tournament will be determined once all games across the game have been completed.
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.
