PUEBLO, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team opened their conference schedule with a pair of wins against New Mexico Highlands University on Sunday as they earned a 3-0 win behind a complete game shutout from
Autumn Kunze in game one before securing a 5-4 walk-off win in the second game.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 3, NMHU 0 | Game 2: UCCS 5, NMHU 4 (8 Innings)
Records: UCCS (5-6, 2-0 RMAC), NMHU (4-3, 0-2 RMAC)
Location: Runyon Sports Complex | Pueblo, Colo.
All-Time Series: With the two wins today, the Mountain Lions improve to 68-51 all-time and 9-1 in their last ten games against the Cowgirls.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- A sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., Kunze was dealing inside the circle from the start as she limited the Cowgirls to just a pair of harmless singles across the first two innings of the ballgame. In the bottom of the second frame, UCCS managed to provide some run support for the second-year pitcher as sophomore Izzy Giroux came through with a two-out, RBI single that put the Mountain Lions ahead 1-0.
- The Cowgirls put together a small rally in their half of the third inning as they got a pair of runners on base with just one out in the frame, but Kunze buckled down to strikeout the final two batters of the inning to maintain her scoreless line. The Mountain Lions fed off the momentum on the offensive side of the ball, however, with Alyssa Gutierrez leading off the bottom half of the third with a single followed immediately by a double over the center fielder's head from Laynee Case that put runners on second and third base. After Jacquelynn Siefken lined out for the first out of the inning, Gianna Pancost lifted a fly ball to right field that was deep enough to allow Gutierrez to tag up and score from third for a 2-0 Mountain Lion advantage.
- After another scoreless inning from Kunze in the top of the fourth, the Mountain Lions took advantage of an error on the part of the Cowgirls to tack on another run to their lead in the home half of the frame. Jennavieve Goldsworth opened the inning with a ground ball to third base that sailed over first base on the throw, allowing Goldsworth to get to second base. With Goldsworth moving on third base following a pair of fly outs, Mia Perez came through in the clutch with a two-out single down the left field line that extended the UCCS lead to 3-0.
- Now holding a three-run advantage, Kunze dominated the Cowgirls over the final three innings of play as she retired nine of the ten batters she faced on the way to finishing off an impressive complete game shutout effort inside the circle and leading UCCS to their first conference win of the season.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
- UCCS outhit the Cowgirls 7-to-5, with seven different student-athletes recording one hit for the Mountain Lions.
- Pancost, Giroux, and Perez accounted for the team's run scoring in game one with one RBI apiece, while Case posted the lone extra-base hit of the game for UCCS with her double in the third inning.
- Kunze (4-1) was masterful inside the circle as she needed just 89 pitches to complete seven shutout innings of softball. The sophomore pitcher allowed only five hits throughout her outing while walking nobody and striking out seven Cowgirls.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- Following a scoreless first inning from both teams, the Cowgirls found themselves in a golden spot to put a crooked number on the scoreboard in the top of the second frame as the first three batters singled against UCCS starter Caydee Farnworth to load the bases with nobody out. A wild pitch from Farnworth would bring home a run and give NMHU an early 1-0 lead, but the sophomore pitcher went on to strike out the next three hitters in order to limit the damage to just one run.
- The UCCS offense put some traffic on the basepaths against NMHU starting pitcher Maya Milano across the first three innings but were unable to scratch across a run until the bottom half of the fourth inning when Katelyn Kilgore reached base on a hit-by-pitch to spark a one-out rally. After a single by Giroux and a groundout from Jacqueline Berkowitz put runners on second and third with two outs, Gutierrez stepped to the plate and showed off her speed on a ground ball to second base, beating the throw for an infield single that brought across the game-tying run. Immediately following the single, Gutierrez caught the Cowgirls sleeping as she broke for second base while the ball was being thrown back to the pitcher, allowing the trail runner to come around to score and give the Mountain Lions their first lead of the game, 2-1.
- Farnworth, who had settled nicely into the game after getting out of the bases-loaded jam in the second inning, ran into more trouble in the top of the sixth inning as a hit batter, single, and walk put the Cowgirls in a bases-loaded situation with nobody out. NMHU would tag back-to-back sacrifice flies to bring in a pair of runs and regain a 3-2 lead before Jazmyn Griego lined a two-out single to center field to bring the Cowgirls lead to 4-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
- After failing to score in their half of the sixth, the Mountain Lions stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh still trailing by two runs and quickly put themselves in a strong position to extend or win the game. Berkowitz got the seventh inning rally started with an infield single, and after a pop up to Gutierrez, moved to third on a single by Case. In a heads up move on the basepaths, Case also moved up to second on the throw back to the infield, putting the tying runners on second and third with just one out and Lexi Wagner at the plate. With the game on the line, Wagner put the ball in play on the ground to second base to plate a run but was thrown out at first for the second out of the inning. Pancost stepped up to the dish next and immediately came through with a line drive into short right field that evened the score at four runs apiece and sent the game into extra innings.
- In the eighth inning, sophomore Kailey Bond did well to get three consecutive groundouts to maintain the 4-4 tie and give the Mountain Lions a chance to win the game in the bottom half of the inning. For a second straight inning, UCCS had a strong start to the frame as Goldsworth led off the frame with a bunt single before swiping second with a nifty slide to avoid the tag going into the base. With one out in the inning, Giroux stepped up to the plate and continued her impressive day by lining a single to center field that brought Goldsworth across the plate for the winning run in a 5-4 walk-off win.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions recorded a season-high 11 hits in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader, including multi-hit games from Gutierrez, Goldsworth, and Giroux.
- Goldsworth was an offensive catalyst for UCCS, going 3-for-4 in the game with a stolen base and the game-winning run.
- Gutierrez and Giroux each posted 2-for-4 lines at the plate with one RBI apiece. Gutierrez also added her team-leading fourth stolen base of the season.
- Farnworth was solid inside the circle for the Mountain Lions as she tossed a season-high seven innings while allowing four earned runs and striking out three batters. Bond (1-1) earned her first win of the season after tossing a perfect eighth inning.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The shutout in game one of this afternoon's doubleheader was the first of the season for the Mountain Lions. It also marks the first time a UCCS pitcher has thrown a complete game shutout since Braelyne Crenshaw blanked Adams State University in an abbreviated five-inning game on March 27, 2022. The last seven-inning shutout was pitched by Lexi Rayburn on Feb. 26, 2022, against Chadron State College.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will complete their four-game series against the Cowgirls tomorrow with another doubleheader set to take place at the Runyon Sports Complex in Pueblo, Colo. First pitch for the first game of the doubleheader is set for 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 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
