COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Solid hitting and strong pitching aided the University of Colorado Colorado baseball team to two wins Saturday afternoon against the University of Sioux Falls Cougars. UCCS won game one by 10 runs, 13-3, and took game two, 5-2.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final Game One: UCCS 13, USF 3 | Final Game Two: UCCS 5, USF 2
Records: UCCS (5-9, 0-0 RMAC) | USF (0-6, 0-0 NSIC)
Facility | Location: Mountain Lion Park | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: Today's doubleheader marked the first time both teams have faced each other in program history, with UCCS taking a 2-0 lead in the all-time series.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- Cole Philip started his fourth game of the season on the mound in the series opener and quickly went to work, holding the Cougars scoreless and just three hits in the first two innings.
- The Mountain Lions offense went on the attack from the start as leadoff batter Aaron Brakel reached base on a single through the left side. He was quickly sent home when the next batter, Kit Wigington, put the ball over the outfield fence for a 2-0 lead. The next batter, first baseman Caleb Stubbings, mirrored Wigington's home run ball over the left center fence as UCCS went up 3-0 just three batters into the rotation.
- UCCS continued the hitting spree in the bottom half of the second inning. Evan Steinberger led off the inning with a single to right center but was stranded at first base as the next two batters flied out. With Brakel back up to the plate, Steinberger stole second and moved to third on Brakel's single. Wigington brought them both home with his second dinger of the game, boosting UCCS' lead to six runs, 6-0.
- The Cougars were able to plate two runs in the third inning when a hard hit double down the left field line by Ben Serie scored two runs. Down 6-2, USF made a pitching change in the bottom of the third inning as relief pitched Reese Gaber retired his first batter of the inning. Keegan Sueltz was able to draw a walk and eventually stole third base before Macully Sehr hit a RBI single for a 7-2 UCCS lead after three complete innings.
- Philip continued to work through the Cougars lineup and went one-two-three in the top half of the fourth inning. UCCS plated at least one run for the fourth straight inning when they added two in the bottom of the fourth. Wigington drew a walk and reached second base on a balk before moving to third on Stubbings single to center field. Brad Madison's two-run double plated Wigington and Stubbings and saw the Mountain Lions lead grow to seven runs, 9-2.
- Philip forced USF to go three-and-out in the fifth inning as the Mountain Lions were held scoreless for the first time of the game in the bottom half of the fifth. The Cougars posted their third and final run of the game with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Jon Sotto relieved Philip on the mound with two outs on the board and shutdown the first batter he faced to leave two Cougars stranded on base.
- Kasey Campbell joined in on the home run action when he hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning for his first home run of the year. Madison plated two insurance runs in the seventh inning on a double to left center to seal the win for the Mountain Lions, 13-3.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME ONE
- Redshirt-sophomore Philip collected his first win on the mound the season, working five and two-thirds innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and five walks.
- Sotto and Vander Hodges finished the final three innings, holding the Cougars to two hits and no runs. Sotto tallied three strikeouts in two and one-third inning after facing eight batters.
- Wigington boasted three hits, two of which were home runs, drove in five runs and scored four times.
- Stubbings and Campbell each went yard against the Cougars. Stubbings finished with two hits, three runs scored and a RBI while Campbell posted two hits, two RBI and one run scored.
- Madison went 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBI, one run scored and two doubles.
- Sueltz, Steinberger, Sehr and Ronan Hella each tallied a stolen base.
- The Mountain Lions outhit USF, 15-9, and forced the Cougars to commit two errors.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- Game two started slow for both offenses, coupled with strong pitching and defense. Neither team was able to reach second base until the top half of the third inning when the Cougars struck first on the scoreboard.
- The Mountain Lions were held to one hit (Hayden Iverson) in the second inning before the bats came alive in the bottom half of the fourth inning. With two outs and Stubbings on first base, Iverson bagged his second hit of the day and his first home run of the season with a two-run shot to left field. Hodges, who saw action on the mound in game one, doubled down the right field line after Iverson's home run and added a run to his stat line when Tyler Richardson singled to left field. Shortstop freshman Hella added two more runs when his blast that nearly went over the left center field fence going deep enough for a triple to score Brady Lachemann and Richardson.
- The Mountain Lions did all of their offensive damage in the fifth inning, scoring all five runs and tallying four of their five hits in the fifth.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME ONE
- Ryder Mancuso (1-0) pitched six efficient innings, allowing just one earned run and one hit while fanning two batters.
- Garrett Shriver notched his first save of the season, holding USF without a hit or run in the final inning.
- Four Mountain Lions collected at least one hit with Iverson leading both teams with two hits, two runs batted in and one run scored.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With two wins in the books today, UCCS is now on a three-game winning streak.
- Hella recorded the first triple of the season for UCCS in game two.
- The Mountain Lions boasted multiple season highs today, including at-bats (37), runs (13), hits (15), RBI (13), home runs (four) and stolen bases (four).
UP NEXT
- UCCS will play the final two games of the series with a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m.
