LUBBOCK, Texas – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team kicked off their 2023 season on Friday at the LCU Softball Classic with a pair of setbacks as they dropped their first game of the day, 4-3, against University of Nebraska Kearney before falling by a score of 9-4 to No. 21 Lubbock Christian University in their second game of the day.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 3, UNK 4 | Game 2: UCCS 4, #21 LCU 9
Records: UCCS (0-2, 0-0 RMAC), UNK (2-0, 0-0 MIAA), LCU (1-1, 0-0 LSC)
Game 1 Location: LCHS Softball Field | Lubbock, Texas
Game 2 Location: LCU Maner Park | Lubbock, Texas
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions fall to 25-52 all-time against the Lopers and snap a three-game winning streak that dated back to 2016. UCCS also falls to 1-5 all-time against Lubbock Christian.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE – UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA KEARNEY
- After a scoreless top of the first by UCCS starting pitcher Braelyne Crenshaw, the Mountain Lions got the scoring started in the bottom half of the inning as clean-up hitter Courtnie Heller sliced a single to left-center field, driving home Morgan Hernandez-Belew and Paige White to give UCCS an early 2-0 lead.
- In the bottom of the third inning, White continued to add on as she crushed a two-out solo home run to center field to make it a 3-0 advantage in favor of the Mountain Lions.
- UNK would finally get their offense rolling in the top half of the fourth inning as Carly Dembowski led off the inning with a single and was subsequently brought around to score on a double by Abbie Jo Gaube. After Crenshaw recorded a strikeout for the first out of the inning, an infield single and a throwing error by Hernandez-Belew allowed Gaube to score from second base, cutting the UCCS lead to 3-2.
- With the lead down to just one run, the Mountain Lions threatened to increase the advantage in the bottom of the fifth inning as a single from White and walks from Hernandez-Belew and Heller loaded the bases with two outs in the inning and shortstop Solana Martinez coming to the plate. UNK pitcher Sydney Thomason would clamp down, however, as she caught Martinez looking at strike three for the final out of the inning to keep the score at 3-2.
- Facing newly entered Mountain Lion pitcher Autumn Kunze in the top of the sixth inning, UNK strung together a rally of their own as the first two hitters in the frame reached base on a walk and a hit by pitch. The lead runner, Anna Reiling, would be caught stealing for the first out of the inning, but after another walk put two runners on base once again, Mary Chvatal laced a two-RBI double to the left field gap to give Nebraska-Kearney their first lead of the day, 4-3.
- The bottom half of the sixth inning started in promising fashion for the now trailing Mountain Lions as Maddie Unrein and Lexi Wagner led off the inning with back-to-back singles to put a pair of runners on base with nobody out. Once again, Thomason was unfazed as she went on to strike out the next two UCCS hitters before inducing a ground ball back to the circle by Mia Perez to end the inning and hold the Lopers' lead at one run.
- Kunze would hold UNK off the scoreboard in the top of the seventh inning, but the Mountain Lions were unable to muster any offense in the bottom half of the inning as UNK secured a 4-3 win in the season-opener.
STATS FROM GAME ONE – UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA KEARNEY
- The UCCS offense recorded seven hits in the first game of the day, including a pair of extra-base hits.
- Both extra-base hits came off the bat of White, who finished the game going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored.
- Heller led the team with two RBIs as she compiled a 1-for-3 line while also drawing a walk.
- Wagner also collected a pair of singles as she went 2-for-3 at the dish.
- Crenshaw earned a no-decision inside the circle as she left the game with a lead after tossing five innings and allowing just two earned runs with two strikeouts.
- Kunze entered the game in the sixth inning and pitched the final two innings of the ballgame, surrendering two earned runs on one hit, four walks, and one hit batter while striking out three hitters.
- For the Lopers, Thomason was a catalyst from the batters box and the pitching circle, going 2-for-4 at the plate and earning the win by pitching 2.1 scoreless innings to close the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO – #21 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
- After the Mountain Lions were set down in order to begin the contest, No. 21 nationally ranked Lubbock Christian wasted little time getting their offensive attack started in the bottom half of the first inning as they jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead against UCCS starting pitcher Lexi Rayburn. In the inning, the Chaparrals totaled five hits, including three doubles and a home run, and two walks as they saw their first six batters of the game reach base.
- The UCCS pitching staff would settle down after the first inning explosion to keep the Chaps in check over the next three innings, but it wouldn't be until the top of the fifth inning that the Mountain Lions got on the board for the first time as Wagner lined a single up the middle to drive home Maddie Unrein and cut the deficit to 6-1.
- LCU quickly found a response in the bottom of the fifth inning as Kasey Flores led off the inning with a solo home run and Amanda Valdiviezo smacked an RBI double later in the inning to extend their advantage to 8-1.
- The Mountain Lions would scratch across another run in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Heller, but once again the Chaparrals were quick to respond as they scored a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning to keep their lead at seven runs, 9-2.
- A two-run home run from Wagner in the top half of the seventh inning would bring the Mountain Lions within five runs, 9-4, but the offense would stop there as LCU walked away with the victory.
STATS FROM GAME TWO - #21 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
- A trio of Mountain Lion student-athletes combined to record six of the team's seven hits in the game, with Perez, Heller and Wagner each recording two.
- Wagner, who went 2-for-3 in the game, also led the team with her three RBIs and notched the only extra-base hit for UCCS with a seventh-inning home run.
- Rayburn takes her first loss of the season after allowing six earned runs across 2.1 innings of work as the game two starter.
- Sophomore Mackenzie Rutkoff entered the game in the third inning in relief of Rayburn and went on to toss 3.2 innings while allowing three earned runs and striking out two hitters.
- LCU starting pitcher Maxine Valdez earned the win after throwing four scoreless innings with five strikeouts. On the offensive end, the Chaparrals tallied 12 hits and hit a pair of home runs, with the first coming off the bat of Valdiviezo and the second by Flores.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Wagner's four hits on the day marked the first hits of her collegiate career. Her home run in the second game of the day also registered as the first home run of her career at UCCS.
- With two strikeouts in the first game of the day, Crenshaw now has an even 300 in her career. She currently ranks fourth all-time in program history for the category and sits just 22 away from tying Becca Smith for No. 3 all-time with 322.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions continue tournament play tomorrow in Lubbock, Texas, as they get set to take on Southern Nazarene University at 10 a.m. (MT) before battling #22 Washburn University at 2 p.m. (MT). Both games will be played at Lubbock Christian High School.
SOCIAL
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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.
