GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team was dealt a pair of tightly contested setbacks on Saturday afternoon against Colorado Mesa University with Mavericks earning a 4-0 victory in game one and a 6-3 win in game two of the doubleheader.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final Game One: UCCS 0, CMU 4 | Final Game Two: UCCS 3, CMU 6
Records: UCCS (8-19, 5-13 RMAC), CMU (17-8, 15-2 RMAC)
Location: CMU Softball Field | Grand Junction, Colo.
All-Time Series: Colorado Mesa holds a 99-37 all-time record against the Mountain Lions, including wins in each of the last nine matchups.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- The offenses of the Mountain Lions and Mavericks both went down quietly to begin the game, but CMU broke onto the scoreboard with three runs in the bottom of the second inning to grab a 3-0 advantage. After a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for Colorado Mesa with just one out in the frame, Maverick center fielder Iliana Mendoza drove an RBI single up the middle that brought home the first run of the ballgame. A defensive error by Sydney King at shortstop on the next CMU batter would allow two more runs to score, but UCCS starting pitcher Braelyne Crenshaw managed to retire the next two hitters to end the inning and keep the Mountain Lion deficit at just three runs.
- Following a pair of scoreless innings, the Mavericks added another run to their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as Ashley Bradford led off the frame with a single and eventually came around to score on an RBI groundout by Ava Fugate.
- Still trailing by four runs in the top of the seventh inning, UCCS brought the tying run to the plate after a walk from Peyton Reisman and singles by King and Mia Perez loaded the bases for two-hole hitter Morgan Hernandez-Belew, but a swinging strikeout of Hernandez-Belew would end the threat as CMU claimed a shutout victory to open the series.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
- The Mavericks held a slight advantage with seven hits in the game compared to six for the Mountain Lions.
- Perez reached base in three of her four plate appearances in game one, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk.
- Lexi Wagner notched the Mountain Lions lone extra base hit of the ballgame with a double in the second inning.
- Crenshaw (1-8) took her eighth loss of the season despite a strong pitching performance against the high-powered Maverick offense. The redshirt senior tossed six innings while allowing four runs (three earned) with four strikeouts.
- CMU pitcher Hannah Sattler proved to be a tough assignment for the UCCS offense as she recorded a complete game shutout, throwing seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- Following a scoreless top of the first inning from the UCCS offense, Colorado Mesa put together a rally in the bottom half of the frame as they loaded the bases with just one out. Despite the heavy traffic on the bases, Mountain Lion starting pitcher Lexi Rayburn managed to limit the damage to just one run off a sacrifice fly from Brandi Haller, keeping the game at 1-0 in favor of CMU.
- With runners on first and third in the top of the second inning after a single and walk from Molly Sherwood and Maddie Unrein, the Mountain Lions benefitted from a rare defensive miscue on the part of CMU third base player Aislyn Sharp to score their first run of the day and even the game at one. After the error, the next three UCCS hitters each reached base on a walk to bring in two more runs and give the Mountain Lions a 3-1 lead, but the rally would end there as a 5-2-3 double play off the bat of Paige White closed the inning.
- In the bottom half of the second frame, UCCS gifted one run back to the Mavericks as a dropped fly ball in left field by Wagner allowed a run to come across, making it a 3-2 game. Mountain Lion relief pitcher Autumn Kunze would enter the game following the error and induce an inning-ending double play to hold the lead.
- After a scoreless third inning from both sides, the Maverick's offense went back to work in the bottom of the fourth frame with Myah Arrieta coming through with a two-out, two-RBI double to help her team regain a one run lead at 4-3.
- With the margin still at one run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Colorado Mesa's Ashley Bradford added a pair of insurance runs to the Maverick's total with a two run home run to left field that pushed their lead to 6-3. The Mountain Lion bats would go down in order in the top of the seventh inning as the Mavericks took game two of the series.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
- UCCS recorded just two hits in the second game of the series but did draw five walks and one hit batter.
- Wagner and Sherwood notched the only hits for UCCS, with both of them being singles.
- Perez continued to excel at getting on-base from the leadoff spot, drawing a pair of walks in her four plate appearances.
- Rayburn's start inside the circle ended up being a short one as she pitched just 1.1 innings while allowing two runs (one earned).
- Kunze (3-3) tossed the final 4.2 innings of the ballgame and took the loss as she allowed four earned runs on seven hits and a walk.
- Marisa Nehm secured the win for the Mavericks as she entered the game in relief in the second inning and went on to pitch 5.2 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and one walk.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With one strikeout during her game two start inside the circle, Rayburn moves into sole possession of tenth all-time in program history with 162 strikeouts in her career.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions and Mavericks will close out the series with a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 11 a.m.
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.
