COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After a tough start to the series yesterday, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team rebounded to win a pair of tight games against Regis University and secure a split of the conference series against the Rangers.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final Game One: UCCS 6, REGIS 5 | Final Game Two: UCCS 5, REGIS 3
Records: UCCS (8-17, 5-11 RMAC), REGIS (14-12, 11-5 RMAC)
Location: Mountain Lion Field | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions improve to 49-91 all-time against the Rangers.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- The Rangers drew first blood in game three of the four game set as a two-out, two-RBI single from Hannah Sisul in the top of the second inning gave Regis a 2-0 advantage.
- In the bottom of the third frame, the Mountain Lions would capitalize on an inning opening error that allowed Sydney King to reach base as a subsequent walk from Mia Perez and a single by Courtnie Heller led to a pair of unearned runs that evened the game at two. UCCS struck for another run in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-out RBI triple from King giving the Mountain Lions their first lead of the series, 3-2.
- Regis quickly punched back in the top half of the fifth inning as Jessi Case led off the inning with a double and immediately stole third base. An RBI groundout from the next Ranger hitter, Miia Campos, would bring Case across the plate and bring the game back into a tie at three runs apiece.
- The lead would switch back in the favor of UCCS in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI fielder's choice groundout from Cassidy Hubner making it a 4-3 game, but the Rangers once again battled back to tie the game at four with a leadoff home run from Olivia Wick in the top of the sixth inning.
- After a go-ahead home run from Peyton Reisman led off the bottom of the sixth inning and gave the Mountain Lions a 5-4 lead, Regis put together a rally in the top of the seventh with each of their first three batters reaching base. With the bases loaded and nobody out, relief pitcher Mackenzie Rutkoff recorded a pair of infield popouts to keep the runners in their place, but a two-out walk forced home a run and brought the game even again at five runs.
- Rutkoff would go on to retire Sienna Reed on a pop-up to shortstop to end the visitor half of the seventh inning and keep the game tied before sophomore Paige White wasted little time ending the game in the bottom half of the frame with a walk-off home run to leadoff the inning that gave the Mountain Lions a 6-5 victory.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions tallied six hits in the third game of the series, with five of them being extra-base hits.
- White posted a 2-for-3 line and extended her team lead with her ninth home run of the season, while Reisman cracked her first home run of the campaign.
- King went 1-for-3 with an RBI put of the nine-hole in the order while also notching the first triple of her collegiate career.
- Braelyne Crenshaw started the game inside the circle for UCCS, pitching 6.0 innings and allowing five earned runs with four strikeouts. Rutkoff (1-3) earned her first win of the season after tossing one shutout inning to set up the walk-off home run.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions put together a two-out scoring rally in the bottom half of the second inning to crack the scoreboard first as a pair of singles and walk loaded the bases before a hit by pitch of Morgan Hernandez-Belew forced home the first run of the game.
- An RBI single from Rachel Williams and a sacrifice fly from Reed in the top of the third gave Regis a 2-1 lead, but the Rangers would give the up the lead immediately in the bottom of the inning as a dropped catch error in left allowed Brianna Jennings to come across the plate and tie the game at two.
- The back-and-forth continued in the top of the fourth inning as Regis regained their lead with Case launching a double off the center field wall that brought home a run and put the Rangers ahead 3-2.
- In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Mountain Lions responded with a rally of their own as a double from Perez and a single from Hernandez-Belew led to another tie game at three. UCCS would add two more runs in the inning on an RBI single by Heller and an RBI groundout by Wagner to take a 5-3 lead.
- The Mountain Lions turned to senior Lexi Rayburn inside the circle to begin the fifth inning, and Rayburn was lights out down the stretch as she pitched three scoreless innings to secure the 5-3 victory and a series split with the Rangers.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
- UCCS outhit Regis 7-5 in the final game of the series while also drawing five walks.
- Heller had a strong game out of the clean-up spot as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
- Hernandez-Belew tallied a pair of RBIs in the game as she recorded a 1-for-1 line with a walk, hit by pitch, and sacrifice bunt.
- Freshman Autumn Kunze (3-2) drew her first start of the season inside the circle and pitched four solid innings to secure her third win. Kunze allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
- Rayburn earned the first save of her collegiate career, tossing three shutout innings to close the ballgame.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Mountain Lions have six position players that have started each of the team's 25 games this season, including White, Heller, Perez, Hernandez-Belew, Wagner, and Maddie Unrein.
- UCCS snaps a ten-game slide with their doubleheader sweep over the Rangers today.
UP NEXT
- UCCS will travel to Grand Junction, Colo., to take on Colorado Mesa University for a four-game conference series on March 18-19.
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.
