COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team split Sunday's doubleheader against Colorado School of Mines as the offense was stymied in a 3-0 defeat in game one before bouncing back to earn a 6-2 win in game two behind a stellar pitching performance by freshman
Autumn Kunze.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final Game One: UCCS 0, CSM 3 | Final Game Two: UCCS 6, CSM 2
Records: UCCS (11-24, 8-18 RMAC), CSM (15-20, 14-12 RMAC)
Location: Mountain Lion Field | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions move to 70-57-1 all-time against the Orediggers.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- After both teams went down easily in the first inning, the Orediggers put together a one-out, bases loaded rally to begin the top of the second frame against UCCS starting pitcher Braelyne Crenshaw. An RBI single off the bat of Kendall Aragon with two outs in the inning would give Mines a 1-0 lead, but Crenshaw managed to strike out Hannah Roberts to end the frame and keep the damage to just the one run.
- Crenshaw would find herself in more trouble at the start of the third inning as Sidney Wilson led off the inning with a single and quickly came in to score on a two-run home run from Kayleigh Krueger that stretched the Orediggers lead to 3-0.
- The Mountain Lion pitching would hold the Orediggers scoreless the rest of the way, but the UCCS offense could not get anything going against Mines starter Sadriena Rodriguez, who tossed a complete game shutout to earn her second win in as many days.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions mustered just four hits against Rodriguez, with Morgan Hernandez-Belew, Solana Martinez, Courtnie Heller, and Lexi Wagner each recording one hit in their three trips to the plate.
- Crenshaw (2-11) suffered her 11th loss of the season after allowing three earned runs across four innings pitched as the Mountain Lion starting pitcher.
- Mackenzie Rutkoff followed Crenshaw into the ballgame out of the bullpen and went on to throw three scoreless innings with four hits allowed and two strikeouts.
- Rodriguez was excellent once again for the Orediggers, tossing seven shutout innings with four hits, no walks allowed, and eight strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- Following a two-run top of the first inning by Mines, the Mountain Lion bats that were quiet in game one of the doubleheader quickly woke up, with Hernandez-Belew and Martinez popping solo home runs in the home half of the frame to even up the game at two runs apiece.
- In the bottom of the second inning, UCCS capitalized on a pair of walks to the first three batters in the inning, with the first runner coming in to score on an RBI double from Hernandez-Belew and the second crossing the plate on a passed ball by the Mines catcher to give the Mountain Lions their first lead of the day, 4-2.
- UCCS added another run to their advantage in the bottom of the third inning as Wagner lifted a solo home run over the left field fence, her third bomb of the weekend, extending the score to 5-2 in favor of the Mountain Lions.
- A solo home run from Maddie Unrein added another insurance run for the Mountain Lions in the bottom of the sixth inning, and that was all that UCCS starting pitcher Autumn Kunze would need as she went the distance with six scoreless innings after the two runs allowed in the first frame to secure a 6-2 win and series split with the Orediggers.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
- UCCS tallied four hits in the final game of the series, with four of them ending up on the other side of the fence for home runs.
- Hernandez-Belew had a huge game from the leadoff spot, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, and two RBIs. The home run was her second of the weekend and third of the season.
- Wagner moved into the team lead in the home run category with her tenth of the season, while Unrein notched her fourth home run of the season and Martinez hit her second.
- Kunze (4-3) put together the best outing of her brief collegiate career, earning her fourth win of the season after allowing just two earned runs across seven innings pitched. The freshman pitcher struck out three hitters while allowing seven hits and two walks.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Kunze's complete game marks the first of her collegiate career and it comes in just her third game started this season.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions head back out on the road to face off with Fort Lewis College for a four-game conference set beginning with a doubleheader on Thursday, April 6, from FLC Aspen Field.
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.
