COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team dropped the first two games of their four-game series against the Colorado Mesa University Mavericks on Sunday afternoon, falling by a score of 17-14 in an extra-inning thriller in game one of the doubleheader before suffering an 8-0 run-rule defeat in game two.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 14, CMU 17 (9 innings) | Game 2: UCCS 0, CMU 8 (5 innings)
Records: UCCS (11-12, 8-6 RMAC), CMU (13-7, 11-3 RMAC)
Location: Mountain Lion Field | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions fall to 37-103 all-time against the Mavericks.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
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The Mavericks jumped all over UCCS starting pitcher Autumn Kunze from the start in the opening game of the series as they sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning, stringing together five hits, one walk, and one hit batter in the frame to take an early 6-0 lead.
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Despite the early deficit, the Mountain Lion offense managed to get a pair of runs back in the bottom half of the first inning as Jacqueline Berkowitz reached base on an error by the Colorado Mesa starting pitcher, Preslee Christenson, before Izzy Giroux launched a two-run home run over the left field fence to cut the Maverick's lead to 6-2.
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Kunze's struggles inside the circle continued in the top of the second inning as she immediately allowed a double to Ally Distler and a two-run home run to Chloe Valdez that extended the deficit to 8-2. Another double by the next CMU hitter, Makayla Westmoreland, would force UCCS head coach Dwight Sanders to make an early pitching change with Kailey Bond entering the game in relief of Kunze, but after issuing a walk to the first batter she faced, Bond went on to escape the rest of the frame unscathed as she induced a double play ball off the bat of Miranda Pruitt for the first two outs before getting Iliana Mendoza to ground out to end the inning.
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The top of the third inning saw the Maverick offense continue their momentum as Distler launched a two-run home run that extended their lead to 10-2. UCCS would get both runs back in the bottom of the frame with Gianna Pancost bringing across one run with an RBI double before an RBI single off the bat of Laynee Case brought in another run to score, cutting the Maverick's lead to 10-4.
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Colorado Mesa put together another big inning offensively in the top of the fourth as a two-run home run from Pruitt, an RBI double by Myah Arrieta, and an RBI single by Distler led to four more runs and a 14-4 Maverick lead.
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Now trailing by ten runs, the Mountain Lions were undeterred on the offensive end as they plated seven runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning to bring their deficit back to just three runs at 14-11. In the inning, UCCS recorded eight hits and one walk with six different student-athletes recording at least one RBI.
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After a pair of scoreless frames pitched by Bond in the top of the fifth and sixth innings, the Mountain Lion offense made it all the way back into the game as Case reached base on an error to begin the inning before Jennavieve Goldsworth dropped down a bunt single to put a pair of runners on with nobody out and Hailey Busshart at the dish. Busshart would send the ball high and deep over the right center field fence for a three-run home run that tied the ballgame at 14 runs apiece.
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With the ballgame now tied, the Mavericks put together a two-out rally in the top of the seventh as they attempted to take the lead with a double from Cailynn Parsons and a walk by Pruitt putting runners on first and second. The next batter, Iliana Mendoza, would line a single up the middle and Parsons rounded third to come around and try to score, but UCCS centerfielder Alyssa Gutierrez fielded the ball cleanly and delivered a strike to home plate to cut down Parsons for the third out of the inning.
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After the Mountain Lions went scoreless in the bottom of the seventh frame and forced extra innings, both teams would stay off the scoreboard in the eighth inning as well, although UCCS did have a strong opportunity in their half of the inning to earn the walk off win. Goldsworth and Busshart opened the inning with back-to-back singles to put a pair of runners on the basepaths with nobody out in the frame, but an attempted sacrifice bunt by Kelsey Bell went the direction of the Mavericks as Bell was called for batter's interference for the first out of the inning. The next two Mountain Lion hitters would be retired on a fly ball and a ground out, ending the inning and sending the game into the ninth stanza.
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In the top of the ninth inning, Colorado Mesa broke through for the first time since the fourth inning as Valdez lifted a leadoff solo home run to help the Mavericks reclaim their advantage, 15-14. After a walk and sacrifice bunt by the next two CMU hitters, Pruitt smacked her second home run of the game, a two-run shot that put the Mavericks ahead 17-14.
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Once again facing a three-run deficit, the Mountain Lions were unable to get anything going in the bottom half of the ninth inning as they hit three consecutive ground ball outs to the shortstop in a 17-14, extra-inning defeat to the Mavericks.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
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The Mountain Lions posted a season-best 14 runs and 16 hits in the ballgame, with eight of the team's nine offensive starters getting at least one hit.
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Busshart put together a huge line at the plate as she went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, and five RBIs.
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Four additional Mountain Lion hitters posted multi-hit games with Goldsworth tabbing three hits and Pancost, Giroux, and Case each recording two hits.
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UCCS also showed a keen eye at the plate, drawing three walks while striking out just four times across nine innings of play.
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Inside the circle, Kunze lasted just one inning as she surrendered eight runs (seven earned) across her outing. Bond pitched six innings in relief of Kunze and allowed six earned runs across her time inside the circle. Caydee Farnworth (1-4) entered the game to pitch the final two innings of the ballgame and was saddled with her fourth loss of the season after allowing three earned runs across two innings of work.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
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For a second straight game, the Mavericks put up a crooked number in the top of the first inning as they saw Distler and Pruitt each launch respective two-run home runs to grab a 4-0 advantage.
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Colorado Mesa added three more runs to their tally in the top of the second frame with Ava Fugate lining an RBI double down the left field line before Valdez connected on her third home run of the game, a two-run shot, that extended the Maverick's lead to 7-0.
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In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Mountain Lions mounted their first rally of the ballgame against CMU starting pitcher Christa Zagala, with Jada Montoya leading off the inning with a single and Giroux reaching base on a throwing error by the pitcher. Zagala quickly settled back into the game, however, getting the next three Mountain Lion hitters out to complete her fourth consecutive scoreless inning to open the game.
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The Mavericks would add another run in the top half of the fifth inning to extend their lead to 8-0, and with another scoreless inning from Zagala in the bottom of the frame, CMU claimed a run-rule victory in five innings over the Mountain Lions.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
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The Mountain Lions were able to muster just three hits against Zagala in the second game of the day, with Berkowitz, Montoya, and Busshart each recording one.
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Farnworth (1-5) drew the start inside the circle in game two for UCCS as she pitched 1.2 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned). Bond came on in relief of Farnworth and tossed 2.1 shutout innings before giving way to Mackenzie Rutkoff for the final inning of the game. Rutkoff went on to pitch one inning and allowed one earned run.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
UP NEXT
SOCIAL
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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.
