COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team dropped the final two games of their series against Metropolitan State University Denver on Sunday as the Roadrunners completed the series sweep with a 9-7 win in game one and a 5-1 victory in game two.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final Game One: UCCS 7, MSUD 9 | Final Game Two: UCCS 1, MSUD 5
Records: UCCS (6-11, 3-5 RMAC), MSUD (11-6, 8-0 RMAC)
Location: Mountain Lion Field | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions fall to 21-39 all-time against the Roadrunners.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- MSU Denver got on the board first in game one with an RBI single from Shelby Robb giving the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The UCCS offense quickly went to work in the bottom half of the opening inning, however, providing three runs of support for UCCS starting pitcher Mackenzie Rutkoff to jump ahead 3-1 after one inning of play. An RBI single down the right field line by redshirt senior Courtnie Heller brought home the first run of the inning before sophomore Lexi Wagner drove home two more runs with a double to left center field.
- The Mountain Lions added another run to their lead in the bottom of the second inning as redshirt senior Peyton Reisman lined a ground rule double to left field and was brought in to score two batters later on an RBI single from junior Mia Perez.
- Still trailing 4-1 in the top of the fourth, the Roadrunners began to mount a rally with three of the first four hitters in the frame reaching base on singles to create a bases-loaded situation with just one out. Rutkoff would go on to squash the rally with a called third strike on Katie Maney before getting the leadoff batter Kami Grammerstorf to fly out to right field on the first pitch for the third out of the inning.
- After a solo home run from sophomore Cassidy Hubner pushed the Mountain Lion lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Roadrunners took advantage of a two-out error by Morgan Hernandez-Belew in the top of the sixth inning as they went on to score seven runs after the error to flip the game in their favor at 8-5.
- Facing a deficit for the first time since the opening frame of the ballgame, UCCS promptly got their first two batters on board to begin the bottom of the sixth inning with back-to-back singles by Kelsey Bell and Sydney King and managed to cut into the MSUD lead after a two-out throwing error by the Roadrunner pitcher Cheyenne Prieto brought Bell across the plate. The Mountain Lions would add one more run before the end of the inning on an RBI single by Heller that brought the game within one run, 8-7.
- A home run from Alexia Boring in the top of the seventh inning would give the Roadrunners an extra run of cushion, but it turned out to be inconsequential as UCCS went down in order in the bottom half of the inning of the 9-7 defeat.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions were outhit 12-11 by the Roadrunners in game three of the series.
- Perez posted a 3-for-4 performance from the leadoff spot in the lineup as she added one run scored and one RBI.
- Heller put together a 2-for-2 line in the game while tying for the team lead with two RBIs. Wagner matched Heller with two RBIs of her own as she plated a pair of runs on her lone hit of the game.
- Rutkoff took a no decision after tossing 5.2 stellar innings inside the circle and allowing five runs, with just one being earned, while striking out six batters. Freshman Ella Ebert (1-1) entered the game in the sixth inning in relief of Rutkoff and did not record an out while surrendering three earned runs.
- Redshirt senior Braelyne Crenshaw recorded the final four outs of the ballgame on the rubber, allowing one run with a pair of strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- Similar to the first game of the day, the Roadrunner offense was quick to get on the scoreboard as a double off the bat of Hannah DiFabio gave MSU Denver the early one run lead. The inning would turn for the worse two batters later when Jaiden Geist lifted a three-run home run to right field that put UCCS in a 4-0 first inning hole.
- Looking for a response to the early runs by the Roadrunners, UCCS loaded the bases in the bottom half of the first inning with just one out, but MSUD starting pitcher Jenna Medhus would proceed to strikeout Wagner and Maddie Unrein to keep the Mountain Lions off the scoreboard.
- After three scoreless innings from both sides, the Roadrunners would add another run to their lead in the top of the fifth inning as Audrey Burt led off the frame with a triple down the right field line and was brought in to score on an RBI groundout by DiFabio that made it a 5-0 ballgame.
- Brianna Jennings would put the Mountain Lions on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning with a solo home run that cut the deficit to 5-1, but the bats were otherwise silenced by Medhus as MSU Denver completed the four-game sweep of the series.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions managed to record just six hits against Medhus and were once again led by Perez who posted another multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 line.
- Jennings drove home the only Mountain Lion run of the game with her sixth inning home run.
- Crenshaw (1-6) drew the start in the circle for game two after also appearing in the late innings of game one and took her sixth loss of the season as she allowed five earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched.
- Freshman Autumn Kunze continued her strong debut season in relief of Crenshaw, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings to finish the game with one strikeout.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Jennings' home run in the second game of the day marked the first of her collegiate career.
- The scoreless outing for Kunze lowered her season ERA to 3.09, which currently leads all Mountain Lion pitchers.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions head back on the road next weekend to continue their conference schedule with a four-game series against Colorado Christian University at All Star Park in Lakewood, Colo.
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.
