COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team won both games of Sunday's doubleheader 9-6 and 10-9 against Colorado Christian University.
INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
- Final Game One: UCCS 9, CCU 6 | Final Game Two: UCCS 10, CCU 9
- Records: UCCS (13-5, 3-0 RMAC) | CCU (3-17, 0-3)
- Facility | Location: Mountain Lion Park | Colorado Springs, Colo.
- All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions all-time record vs the Cougars improves to 32-6.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- UCCS had a rocky start in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, as the Cougars' Gavin Acosta hit a solo shot on the first pitch he saw from Jacob Brown. After the quick run, CCU's next two batters reached on a walk and a double before the lead baserunner scored on a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 2-0 ballgame in favor of the Cougars.
- After going scoreless in the bottom of the first, the CCU offense came out swinging again as they strung four hits together to add another two runs to their total before Nick Miszuk came in to pitch in relief of Brown. Miszuk quickly got the Mountain Lions out of the inning to give them an opportunity to respond in the bottom of the second inning. Down four runs in the bottom half of the second, Hayden Iverson and Caleb Stubbings both reached on a hit to left center and a walk, respectively. Sitting on second base, Iverson took off for third on a steal attempt when CCU's catcher sailed the throw into left field to allow the first UCCS run to cross home before heading into the third inning.
- The Mountain Lions broke the game open offensively in the third inning after Miszuk pitched a scoreless top half. Outfielder Dillon Vroman led off the inning with a single and a stolen base, followed by a walk by James Harbison. The next two UCCS batters, Bryce Peterson and Kit Wigington singled to make it a 4-3 ballgame. With two runners on, Iverson hit a no-doubter to left field to put the Mountain Lions up 6-4 through three innings.
- After going scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, Joshua Zotto came out to pitch for the Mountain Lions as the first two batters he faced reached safely. A throwing error on the next play allowed one CCU run to score and put another runner on third. A ground out to second base allowed the Cougars to tie the game at six apiece through five and a half innings.
- The Mountain Lions responded in the bottom of the sixth inning as Vroman and James Harbison both hit back-to-back doubles after a leadoff walk by Kasey Campbell to take an 8-6 lead before a throwing error by CCU on a double steal handed UCCS their ninth and final run. Out for the save in the top of the seventh, Joe Plise retired all three batters he faced to end with a 9-6 victory.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME ONE
- Hayden Iverson finished 2-4 with three RBIs and a homerun in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader.
- Iverson was the team leader in RBIs as Vroman, Harbison, Peterson, and Wigington all ended with one apiece.
- Joshua Zotto (3-0) grabs the victory, as Joe Plise picks up his third save of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The second game of Sunday's doubleheader began with a leadoff double by CCU's Gavin Acosta who advanced and scored on two straight groundouts to take a 1-0 lead through the first half inning of action. The Mountain Lions looked to respond on offense, and did so in the bottom of the first as their leadoff batter Quinn Medin reached safely. A long double by Kit Wigington and a ground ball by Hayden Iverson allowed Medin to score and tie the game at 1-1 through the first inning.
- The Cougars answered back with another run in the top of the second when a ground rule double and a wild pitch landed their leadoff batter on third base with no outs. The next batter grounded out to score their second run of the game. CCU would go on to score four more runs in the top of the second, with three coming off a home run by Gregory Rangel, before escaping. Down by five in the bottom of the second inning, Dillon Vroman blasted a two run home run after shortstop Trevor Dale walked to make it a 6-3 ballgame through two innings.
- After UCCS starting pitcher Ryder Mancuso retired the side in the third, Bryce Peterson led off the offensive half with a double to the left center field wall. The next batter, Wigington, hit an outfield single to score Peterson and move the score to 6-4. With a runner on first and two outs, second baseman Caleb Chance hit a double to left center to score Wigington and take a 6-5 deficit into the fourth.
- The Cougars put up three more runs in the top of the fourth with a solo home run off the bat of Lukas Hinze and a two-run shot from Mason Hagel-Pitt before Colton Trudeau came out to pitch in relief and retire the final batter of the inning down 9-5. In the bottom of the fourth, Peterson hit a two out double with a runner in scoring position to make the game 9-6. Wigington came up after and traded places with Peterson on a double over the left fielder's head to end the fourth inning down 9-7.
- The Mountain Lions came up to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning down by two runs when leadoff batter Evan Steinberger reached safely on a walk. Two batters later, Medin hit a double to right center field to score another run for UCCS. Peterson came up next with Medin occupying second base and proceeded to smoke a two-run shot to left center to take a 10-9 lead heading into the final inning. Pitcher Joe Plise came out for the save in the top of the seventh and retired the side to take a 10-9 victory in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME TWO
- Bryce Peterson batted in three runs for UCCS, the most in the game for the Mountain Lions while going 3-4 at the plate.
- Peterson and Dillon Vroman both hit a home run each, as Quinn Medin, Kit Wigington, and Caleb Chance all finished with an extra base hit.
- Colton Trudeau recorded his first win of the season, as Matthew Morben (0-2) takes the loss after three innings on the mound. Joe Plise tallied his fourth save of the season.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Dillon Vroman (.483) and Bryce Peterson (.438) complete Sunday's games as the only eligible Mountain Lions batting above .400 on the season.
- The Mountain Lions are now 6-0 this season against CCU, and have yet to lose a series to any team this season.
UP NEXT
- UCCS will wrap up their series against CCU tomorrow, Monday, Mar. 10 before traveling to Regis Baseball Field in Denver, Colo. for a four-game series against Regis University beginning on Friday, Mar. 14 with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. (MT).
SOCIAL
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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.
