LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team started day three of the 2025 RMAC Softball Tournament by staving off elimination with a 3-2, extra-inning win over No. 3 seed Metropolitan State University Denver before having their tournament hopes dashed in the final round of the consolation bracket in a 7-2 defeat against No. 2 seed Colorado Mesa University.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: (5) UCCS 3, (3) MSUD 2 | Game 2: (5) UCCS 2, (2) CMU 7
Records: UCCS (33-24, 24-17 RMAC), MSUD (41-15, 34-9 RMAC), CMU (39-14, 35-9 RMAC)
Location: All Star Park | Lakewood, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions improve to 24-45 all-time against the Roadrunners and fall to 37-110 against CMU.
HOW IT HAPPENED | (5) UCCS VS. (3) MSU DENVER
- Following a scoreless first inning from both teams, UCCS got a rally started in the top of the second inning as Tayler McCombs lined a leadoff double down the right field line and Laynee Case hit a single to right field that put a pair of runners on base. After Case stole second to get a pair of runners into scoring position, Halley Redd stepped up to the plate and ripped a two-run double down the left field line to give UCCS an early 2-0 lead. MSUD's starting pitcher Natalie Romero settled down after that as she retired the next three hitters to keep the damage to just two runs.
- UCCS starting pitcher Autumn Kunze was sharp through the first two innings of the ballgame but ran into some trouble in the bottom half of the third inning as she walked back-to-back hitters to put runners on first and second with one out. Kunze avoided any runs crossing the plate for the time being as centerfielder Jennavieve Goldsworth made an incredible diving play on a liner into the right center field gap off the bat of Miki Berg to record the second out, but the spectacular play was followed by an error at third base and a single that allowed the Roadrunners to even the game at two runs apiece.
- In the top of the fourth inning, MSU Denver turned the ball over to Samantha Mader inside the circle and she started her outing by matching Kunze with a pair of scoreless frames that kept the game tied at two through five complete innings. After Mader held the Mountain Lions off the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning, UCCS head coach Dwight Sanders made his first move to the bullpen as he called upon freshman Lauren Falk to face the Roadrunners in the bottom of the sixth inning.
- Falk picked up right where Kunze left off upon entering the game as she tossed a scoreless bottom of the sixth with the help of a slick 4-6-3 double play turned up the middle by Case and Redd. In the seventh inning, Mader and Falk continued to throw more zeroes up on the scoreboard as the game was sent into extra innings.
- After a scoreless eighth inning on both sides, UCCS stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth and had a bleak start to the inning with the first two hitter getting out, but things quickly changed as Redd hit a two-out double into the left center field and immediately came around to score as Edyn Lopez ripped a double of her own to bring home the go-ahead run.
- The bottom half of the ninth inning started off perfectly for Falk as she was able to get the first two batters to ground out to Redd at shortstop, leaving the Roadrunners with just one out to work with. After the two quick outs, Falk briefly lost her footing as she issued a pair of walks and a single that loaded the bases and put the tying and winning runs aboard. Fortunately for UCCS, Falk locked back in and managed to get Alexia Boring to hit a ground ball to Lopez, who fielded the ball and stepped on third base for the force out to end the game with UCCS securing a 3-2 win and advancing to the consolation final.
STATS FROM THE GAME | (5) UCCS VS. (3) MSU DENVER
- The Mountain Lions had seven hits in the ballgame while holding the high-powered MSU Denver offense to just five hits.
- Redd had a 2-for-4 game with a pair of doubles and two RBIs, while Goldsworth also notched a pair of hits from the leadoff spot.
- McCombs reached base in three of her four plate appearances, going 1-for-2 with a double and two walks.
- Kunze received a no decision as UCCS' starter inside the circle as she tossed five solid innings in which she allowed two unearned runs with one strikeout.
- Falk (4-4) earned the win with an excellent showing out of the bullpen as she held the Roadrunners scoreless across four innings, allowing two hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED | (5) UCCS VS. (2) COLORADO MESA
- After the Mountain Lions had a quiet top half of the first inning, Colorado Mesa found some quick offense against UCCS starting pitcher Kailey Bond as leadoff hitter Myah Arrieta launched a long home run over the left field fence to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead.
- UCCS managed to gain some momentum in the top of the third inning as Goldsworth led off the frame with a single and was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Jacqueline Berkowitz. Following a walk by Gianna Pancost, Katie Steinmetz stepped to the plate and laced a double to right center field that scored Goldsworth from second and evened the game at one run apiece. The Mountain Lions were unable to add any additional runs in the frame despite having runners at second and third base with just one out as McCombs hit a shallow fly ball to left field and Case grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
- Colorado Mesa found a quick response in the bottom of the third frame as Bella Aragon led off the inning with a single and immediately stole second before being brought around to score on a single from Arrieta. After another single and a walk loaded the bases, the Mavericks went on to add two more runs in the frame with a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt as they surged ahead to a 4-1 lead.
- The Mountain Lions put together another threat in the top of the fourth inning with Redd sending a leadoff double to left center field and moving up to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lopez. With Bailey Olerich at the plate, Maverick's catcher Ally Distler allowed a pitch to get away for a passed ball and Redd aggressively broke for the plate from third and dove to narrowly avoid the tag at the plate to make it a 4-2 game.
- In the bottom of the fifth inning, Mountain Lion relief pitcher Hannah Hunt found herself in a tough position as a single, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk led to a bases loaded opportunity for the Mavericks with just one out. Hunt proceeded to walk the next hitter to bring home a run, which prompted the Mountain Lions to make a pitching change inside the circle with Falk coming on to pitch. During the first at-bat of Falk's outing, she unleashed a wild pitch that bounced to the furthest part of the backstop and allowed two more runs to score and gave the Mavericks a 7-2 lead.
- Falk managed to escape the fifth inning without any additional damage, but the Mountain Lion offense was unable to get anything going in their final two opportunities as their tournament hopes came to an end.
STATS FROM THE GAME | (5) UCCS VS. (2) COLORADO MESA
- The Mountain Lions doubled up the Mavericks in total hits, recording 10 in the game to just five for CMU.
- Goldsworth and Steinmetz each recorded two-hit performances as Goldsworth was 2-for-4 and Steinmetz was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
- Bond (10-7) was saddled with the loss as she surrendered four earned runs across 3.0 innings of work. Hunt allowed three earned runs during her relief outing of 1.1 innings, while Falk held the Mavericks scoreless across the final 1.2 innings of the game.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The last time the Mountain Lions collected three wins in the RMAC Softball Tournament was in 2006.
- Redd finished the season with a team-leading 69 hits, which ranks as the most all-time in a single season in program history by a freshman and tied for the seventh-most all-time among all Mountain Lion players. McCombs also had a historic first season at the collegiate level as her 67 hits rank as the second-most by a freshman and 10th-most all-time in program history for a single season.
SOCIAL
Twitter – @GoMountainLions
Instagram – @gomountainlions
Facebook – GoMountainLions
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.
