COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team stretched their conference winning streak to 10 straight games on Sunday afternoon as they opened their series at New Mexico Highlands with a doubleheader sweep in which they recorded a come-from-behind 5-3 victory in game one and a 9-2 win in game two.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 5, NMHU 3 | Game 2: UCCS 9, NMHU 2
Records: UCCS (18-10, 11-5 RMAC), NMHU (8-19, 2-16 RMAC)
Location: Cowgirl Softball Field | Las Vegas, N.M.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions improve to 71-52 all-time against the Cowgirls
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- After a pair of scoreless innings to begin the opening game of the series, New Mexico Highlands took advantage of some shaky control from UCCS starting pitcher Kailey Bond in the bottom of third to get the scoring started. Bond retired the first batter of the frame on a groundout but proceeded to walk the next three hitters before a single down the right field line by Heaven Medina brought home a pair of runners and gave the Cowgirls a 2-0 lead. Bond would hit the next batter she faced, but the junior hurler then managed to induce a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Vicky Alvarado to end the inning without any further damage.
- On the offensive side of the ball, it took UCCS until the top of the sixth inning to crack the scoreboard despite recording six hits across the first five innings of play against Cowgirl starting pitcher Karla Banegas. The Mountain Lions' sixth inning rally got started with a defensive error at shortstop before a single by Laynee Case and a walk from Bailey Olerich loaded the bases with just one out. The next batter, Edyn Lopez, cashed in one of the runners with a sacrifice fly to left field, but Banegas ultimately managed to finish off the inning with just one run coming across to keep the Cowgirls' lead at 2-1.
- Following a quick bottom half of the sixth that saw Bond set the Cowgirls down in order, the Mountain Lions continued their offensive momentum in the top of the seventh frame as Gianna Pancost hit a one-out double to the right-center field gap to put the tying run in scoring position. After a walk from Katie Steinmetz put runners on first and second, Laynee Case came through with a clutch RBI double that brought Pancost across the plate and tied the game at two runs apiece.
- With the game now tied and the Mountain Lions still having a pair of runners on second and third base, Halley Redd stepped to the plate and lifted a high fly ball to right center field that wound up bouncing off the glove of the outfielder, scoring both of the runners and allowing Redd to make it all the way around to third base. Redd would come across to score on the next batter on an RBI groundout by Olerich as the Mountain Lions took a 5-2 lead to the bottom of the seventh.
- Now trailing for the first time in the ballgame, the Cowgirls threatened to make a comeback in the bottom of the seventh as a two-out, RBI double from Medina cut the UCCS lead to 5-3 and put runners on second and third, but Bond managed to escape the trouble and secure the victory by getting Banegas to line out to third base for the final out.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions doubled up the Cowgirls in the hit category, recording 10 in the game to just five for New Mexico Highlands.
- Jacquline Berkowitz put together a three-hit game for UCCS, while the Mountain Lions' middle infield duo of Case and Redd each tallied a pair of hits.
- UCCS recorded four extra-base hits in the ballgame with Berkowitz, Pancost, Case, and Redd each notching doubles.
- Bond (5-1) picked up her fifth win of the season after holding the Cowgirls to just three earned runs across seven complete innings of work.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- Game two of Sunday's doubleheader began similarly to the first game of the day as the Cowgirls scored in each of the first two innings of the ballgame against UCCS starting pitcher Autumn Kunze to grab an early 2-0 advantage.
- Unlike the first game of the day, the UCCS offense broke through much earlier in the contest as they saw 12 batters come to the plate in the top of the third inning, recording 10 singles in the frame and scoring seven runs to grab a 7-2 lead.
- Now holding her first cushion of the game, Kunze settled in nicely upon returning to the circle in the bottom of the third inning as she held the Cowgirls scoreless with just a pair of hits and two walks across the next three innings before turning the ball over to freshman reliever Lauren Falk in the bottom of the sixth frame. Falk would proceed to pitch face the minimum across two scoreless innings to finish the ballgame as UCCS finished off a 9-2 victory.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions recorded 16 hits in game two of the twin bill with 15 of them being singles. The lone extra-base hit of the game came off the bat of Redd in the second inning.
- A trio of Mountain Lions recorded three-hit performances, including Katelyn Kilgore (3-for-3), Alyssa Gutierrez (3-for-4), and Redd (3-for-4).
- Kunze (4-4) secured her fourth win of the season with five solid innings in which she surrendered two runs (one earned) while striking out seven hitters. Falk also had a solid outing in relief as she pitched two scoreless innings to finish the game while allowing just one walk and no hits.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- After posting 10 hits in game one and 16 hits in game two of today's doubleheader, the Mountain Lions have now recorded 10+ hits in 15 of their 28 games this season.
- UCCS now holds a 12-2 record in their last 14 games against the Cowgirls dating back to the 2022 season.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will wrap up their four-game set at New Mexico Highlands tomorrow with another doubleheader set to begin at 11 a.m. from Cowgirl Softball Field.
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