LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team split two extra inning thrillers with Colorado Christian University Friday afternoon.
INSIDE THE MATCH UP
- Final Game One: UCCS 5, CCU 3 | Final Game Two: UCCS 7, CCU 8
- Records: UCCS (6-21, 3-8 RMAC) | CCU (4-28, 2-13 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: All Star Park | Lakewood, Colo.
- All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions all-time record vs the Cougars moves to 14-17.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- CCU jumped out to a two-run lead in the first behind a double from Major Maydon, with Jonny Tewinkle reaching on an infield hit, both earning a single RBI.
- The Cougars added a third run in the third with Aaron Morgon sending a pitch over the wall in left center field.
- From then on it was all UCCS, who would score five unanswered the rest of the way.
- Dillon Vroman got the Mountain Lions on the board with a clutch two-out RBI single that knocked in Evan Steinberger and Caleb Stubbings.
- In the fifth, Alec Gomez hit one off the right fielder's glove which brought home Hayden Iverson and tied the game at three.
- Both teams would go scoreless from the sixth through the ninth innings, but UCCS got it done in the tenth.
- With the game still knotted at three runs a side, Iverson led off the tenth with a double, then moved to third on Joe Plise's base hit in the pinch. Alec Gomez reached on a bunting squeeze play which Caleb Stubbings followed with a single that plated Iverson.
- With some help from a double play, CCU would escape the inning without allowing any more runs but couldn't get anything going in the bottom of the inning, as Garrett Shiver sent the Cougars packing in order to capture the win for UCCS 5-3.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME ONE
- Dillion Vroman's clutch single earned him a game high 2 RBIs.
- Colton Trudeau threw seven strong innings, only allowing three runs and striking out one.
- Garrett Shriver (1-0) notched his first win of the season, as Jaxon Simmons (1-1) collects his first loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- It was all Cougars in the first three innings of the nightcap game, with the home squad cashing in one in the first, two in the second and one in the third.
- The Mountain Lions would respond with a four spot in the fourth inning, off five hits in the inning. Dillon Vroman got it started with a double, then Alec Gomez drove him in with a single in the ensuing at bat. Evan Steinberger made it three straight with a pinch hit single, with both Steinberger and Gomez sliding up 90 feet on Aaron Jenkins infield hit. Tyler Richardson kept the line moving with a two-run single, with Liam Whalen following him with a fielder's choice that eliminated Jenkins at third. With runners on first and second, Mason Pastorello singled in Richardson from second to bring in the final run of the frame and tie the game at 4.
- Colorado Christian responded in the bottom half of the fourth with a solo shot to recapture the lead at 5-4, a lead they would hold onto unity the seventh.
- Down to their final three outs, UCCS again turned to Mason Pastorello, this time with the bases empty. That wouldn't intimidate the Mountain Lions second basemen, as he launched a yard ball to the opposite field in right.
- The Cougars were unable to capitalize on a Major Maydon single in the bottom half of the seventh, and the teams headed for extra frames once again.
- In the eighth, UCCS fell to two quick outs, but earned a single from Aaron Jenkins that set up Tyler Richardson's two run no doubter to left, giving the visitors the two run advantage.
- Unfortunately for UCCS, four hits from CCU brought in two runs, helped by a Ronan Hella Error that would have ended the game. The Cougars cashed in three to walk off the Mountain Lions by a final of 8-7.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME TWO
- Two errors in the game for UCCS both resulted in runs for CCU.
- Mason Pastorello's seventh inning big fly was his first of the year, as Tyler Richardson's eighth inning bomb was his second.
- Vander Hodges (0-4) takes the loss, with Anthony Thomas (1-1) earning the win.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Both winning pitchers in the series for CCU picked up their first wins of the season.
- UCCS snaps a four-game slide with their game one victory.
- The Mountain Lions now hold a 1-4 record in one run games this year.
UP NEXT
- The four-game series will wrap up tomorrow with game four getting started at 1 p.m. at All Star Park.
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
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.
