COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team concluded their four-game conference series against Black Hills State University with another doubleheader on Sunday in which they dropped the first game by a score of 7-4 before earning the series win on the back of a strong pitching performance from
Kailey Bond in a 4-2 victory in game two.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 4, BHSU 7 | Game 2: UCCS 4, BHSU 2
Records: UCCS (9-8, 6-2 RMAC), BHSU (2-12, 1-7 RMAC)
Location: Mountain Lion Field | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions move to 34-10 all-time against the Yellow Jackets.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions got their bats rolling early on in game one of Sunday's doubleheader as they quickly put runners on second and third with just one out in the bottom of the first inning after a double from Laynee Case and a single by Gianna Pancost. UCCS would cash in both runners with the first coming across the plate on an RBI groundout by Hailey Busshart and the second coming in on an infield single from Jennavieve Goldsworth.
- Case sparked another run-scoring rally for UCCS in the bottom half of the third inning as she led off the frame with a single up the middle before promptly stealing second base. After the next two batters were retired by BHSU starter Shayla Tuschen, Jacqueline Berkowitz placed a ball into short center field that went for an RBI double, and she was brought home on another infield single by Goldsworth that gave the Mountain Lions a 4-0 lead.
- With the early run support from the offense, UCCS starting pitcher Autumn Kunze made easy work of the Yellow Jackets' lineup through the early part of the ballgame as she opened with four consecutive scoreless innings. The sophomore pitcher ran into trouble in the top of the fifth inning, however, as Gianna Haley led off the inning with a single up the middle before Audrey Fouras lifted a deep home run over the center field fence to cut the UCCS lead to 4-2. BHSU would continue their momentum after the home run as a pair of singles and an RBI double from Lily Simmons brought the Yellow Jackets within one run at 4-3 and spelled the end of the day for Kunze. Mackenzie Rutkoff would enter the game in relief of Kunze with nobody out in the inning and, despite allowing a single and walk to the first two batters she faced, she managed to limit the damage to three additional runs with the Yellow Jackets gaining their first lead of the series, 6-4.
- Black Hills State tacked on another run in the top of the sixth inning as they strung together a single and three walks to extend their lead to 7-4. Rutkoff did manage to escape a bases-loaded jam in the frame as she got Tyler Whitlock to pop up to first base and Tuschen to ground out to third base to end the inning.
- After scoring early and often against Tuschen, the Mountain Lion offense went quietly for the remainder of the game against the Black Hills pitcher as she posted four straight shutout innings to secure the 7-4 win for the Yellow Jackets.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions tallied seven hits in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader as Case, Berkowitz, and Goldsworth each posted two-hit games and Pancost recorded one hit.
- UCCS had a pair of extra-base hits in the ballgame, with Case and Berkowitz each hitting doubles.
- The Mountain Lions were active on the basepaths as well, with four different student-athletes stealing bases for a total of four in the game.
- Kunze (5-2) was done in by one bad inning as her final pitching line ended up with her allowing five earned runs across four innings pitched with five strikeouts.
- Rutkoff pitched the final three innings of the game as she surrendered two earned runs and struck out four batters.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions found themselves in a promising situation to start off their half of the first inning with bunt singles from Alyssa Gutierrez and Pancost along with a walk by Case loading the bases with nobody out. BHSU pitcher Malaya Coleman managed to calmly work out of the early trouble, however, as she got Hailey Busshart to strike out looking before getting Berkowitz and Goldsworth out on consecutive fly balls to center field to end the threat.
- With UCCS starter Kailey Bond dealing three scoreless innings to start the ballgame, the Mountain Lion offense finally scratched the scoreboard for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third frame as Berkowitz continued her big weekend with an RBI single that brought Case across the plate.
- In the top half of the fifth inning, the Yellow Jackets took advantage of a pair of walks to score a pair of runs and take a 2-1 lead. With two runners on base and two outs in the inning, Kayla Lee placed a double into the right center field gap that plated one run before an infield single from Tyler Whitlock brought home the go-ahead run for BHSU.
- Black Hills State's lead was short-lived as the Mountain Lions broke through in their half of the fifth inning for three runs to regain a 4-2 advantage. After Case opened the inning with a ground ball to second base for the first out, Pancost, Busshart, and Berkowitz recorded three consecutive singles to load the bases for Goldsworth. The freshman infielder would come through with a double into the left center gap that brought home a pair of runs before fellow freshman Katelyn Kilgore singled to add the third run of the frame.
- Now holding a two-run lead, Bond was able to stymie the Yellow Jackets over the final two innings to secure a 4-2 win in game two of the doubleheader and a 3-1 series win over BHSU.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
- The UCCS offense put up 11 hits in the final game of the series, with Gutierrez, Pancost, Berkowitz each logging two-hit efforts.
- Goldsworth tallied the lone extra-base hit of the game with her double in the fifth inning. She also paced the team with a pair of RBIs, while Berkowitz and Kilgore also recorded one apiece.
- The Mountain Lions added three more stolen bases in game two, with Gutierrez swiping a pair to bring her season total to six and Unrein stealing her second bag of the season.
- For a second straight day, Bond (4-1) tossed a seven-inning complete game and held the Yellow Jackets in check, allowing just two earned runs and striking out five batters on the way to her fourth win of the season.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With multiple hits in both games today, Berkowitz extended her hitting streak to seven games, which marks the longest by a Mountain Lion player so far this season.
- For the series, Berkowitz proved to be a terror for Yellow Jacket pitchers as she started all four games of the series at the designated player position and posted a 9-for-12 line at the plate with one double and five RBIs.
- Inside the circle, Bond had no issues carving up her former team as she tossed 14.0 innings across two games started this weekend while allowing just three earned runs and striking out a total of 13 hitters.
UP NEXT
- The UCCS softball team will head out on their first conference road trip of the season next weekend as they travel to Chadron, Neb., for a four-game series against the Chadron State College Eagles on Saturday and Sunday, March 2-3.
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.
