CANYON, Texas – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team kicked off the West Texas A&M Invitational tournament on Friday evening, falling by a score of 9-2 against Eastern New Mexico University before dropping a 7-0 decision to No. 4 nationally ranked West Texas A&M University.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 2, ENMU 9 | Game 2: UCCS 0, #4 WTAMU 7
Records: UCCS (2-4, 0-0 RMAC), ENMU (5-1, 0-0 LSC), WTAMU (6-1, 0-0 LSC)
Location: Schaeffer Park | Canyon, Texas
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions drop to 6-8 all-time against the Greyhounds and 0-8 all-time against the Lady Buffs.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE – EASTERN NEW MEXICO
- In the opening game of the West Texas A&M Invitational, it was Eastern New Mexico that jumped out to a quick start in the top of the first inning with Alondra Vasquez and Taighen Whitzel tagging back-to-back one-out doubles to give the Greyhounds a 1-0 lead. ENMU would add another run before the end of the inning as Whitzel came in to score on a Mountain Lion error, extending the ENMU advantage to 2-0 with UCCS set to come to the plate for the first time.
- In the bottom half of the first frame, sophomore Alyssa Gutierrez got the Mountain Lion offense started on a high note as she laced a double to left field to open the inning. After the next two batters in the UCCS lineup were retired on easy outs in the infield, freshman Hailey Busshart stepped to the dish and delivered an RBI single into right field that cut the ENMU lead to 2-1.
- After both teams went scoreless in the second inning, UCCS starting pitcher Caydee Farnworth quickly ran into trouble in the visitor's half of the third frame as Vasquez and Whitzel both reached base safely to begin the inning and were brought across the plate on a three-run home run off the bat of Samantha Gutierrez. An RBI double by Cecy Jurado brought home another run for Eastern New Mexico later in the inning to help the Greyhounds open up a 6-1 lead.
- The top of the fourth inning saw Whitzel and Gutierrez strike once again as they strung together back-to-back doubles with two outs in the frame to add another run to the Greyhound's lead, 7-1. Eastern New Mexico would add another score in the top half of the fifth inning with Jurado coming across the plate on a wild pitch to push the score to 8-1.
- UCCS found themselves with a strong opportunity in the bottom half of the fifth inning to make a dent in their deficit as senior Maddie Unrein lined a leadoff single to right field and, after Gutierrez and freshman Katelyn Kilgore recorded consecutive fly outs for the first two outs in the frame, Gianna Pancost, Busshart, and Laynee Case drew three straight walks to put the Mountain Lion's second run on the board and load the bases. The loss of control forced the Greyhounds to make a change inside the circle with Marissa Rodriguez entering the game in favor of Jordan Rivera to attempt to limit the damage, and Rodriguez did just that as she got sophomore Izzy Giroux to strike out swinging to end the inning and preserve ENMU's 8-2 lead.
- After squandering their fifth-inning rally, the UCCS offense went quietly the rest of the way against Rodriguez as they dropped the tournament opener by a score of 9-2.
STATS FROM GAME ONE – EASTERN NEW MEXICO
- The Mountain Lions tallied six hits in the first game of the day, with six different players recording one hit apiece. UCCS also displayed a patient eye at the plate as they drew six walks against Greyhound pitching.
- Busshart led the way for UCCS offensively, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and one RBI. Jennavieve Goldsworth also put together a strong effort at the plate as she reached base in both of her plate appearances while also swiping her second base of the season.
- Farnworth (0-2) took the loss as she allowed seven runs (six earned) across 4.0 innings while striking out four batters. Sophomore Kailey Bond made her season debut and went on to surrender just two earned runs while pitching the final three innings of the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO – WEST TEXAS A&M
- For a second straight game, the Mountain Lions found themselves in an early hole as West Texas A&M put a pair of runs on the scoreboard in the home half of the first inning. Diana Murtha brought home the first run of the ballgame for the Lady Buffs with an RBI triple into left field before coming home to score a second run on a wild pitch by UCCS starting pitcher Autumn Kunze.
- After allowing the two runs in the first inning, Kunze settled in nicely in the second and third frames as she retired six of the seven batters she faced to keep the UCCS deficit at just a pair. The Lady Buffs would find their way back onto the scoreboard in the coming innings, however, as a two-RBI single from Megan Guericke in the fourth inning and a two-RBI double from Braeland Booth in the fifth inning led West Texas A&M to a comfortable 6-0 advantage.
- On the offensive end, the Mountain Lions had a difficult time finding any momentum against the WTAMU starting pitcher, Emilee Boyer, as she went on to toss six shutout innings while striking out six batters. Freshman Ashley Mandell entered the game in the seventh inning for the Lady Buffs and retired three of the four batters she faced to close out a 7-0 win for West Texas A&M.
STATS FROM GAME TWO – WEST TEXAS A&M
- UCCS logged three hits in the ballgame against WTAMU pitching, with two of them coming off the bat of Case and the third coming from freshman Katelyn Kilgore.
- Case posted a 2-for-3 line at the plate while also stealing her second base of the season. Gutierrez drew the lone walk of the game for the Mountain Lions and stole a base as she moved to 3-for-3 on the season in stolen base attempts.
- Kunze (2-1) suffered her first loss of the season after allowing six runs (five earned) across 4.2 innings pitched against the potent WTAMU offense. Bond once again entered the game in relief and pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out one batter.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With 13 stolen bases through the first six games of the 2024 season, the Mountain Lions have already surpassed their total from the entire 2023 season when they had eight.
UP NEXT
- The West Texas A&M Invitational will continue tomorrow from Schaeffer Park in Canyon, Texas, as the Mountain Lions prepare to take on Texas A&M University Kingsville at 8 a.m. (MT) before closing out their season series with Eastern New Mexico at 5 p.m. (MT)
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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.
