LOS LUNAS, N.M. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team put together a pair of offensive outbursts to begin the 2026 campaign on Friday, earning a thrilling 15-13 victory over Sul Ross State University in their first game of the day before exploding for an 18-4 run-rule win against University of Texas Permian Basin in the nightcap.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 15, SRSU 13 | Game 2: UCCS 18, UTPB 4 (6 innings)
Records: UCCS (2-0, 0-0 RMAC), SRSU (1-1, 0-0 LSC), UTPB (1-1, 0-0 LSC)
Game 1 Location: Los Lunas Sports Complex – Field 1 | Los Lunas, N.M.
Game 2 Location: Los Lunas Sports Complex – Field 1 | Los Lunas, N.M.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions improve to 2-0 all-time against the Lobos and 3-0 all-time against the Falcons.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE – SUL ROSS STATE
- The Mountain Lions opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning with a bunt single by Jennavieve Goldsworth and a walk by Mackenzie Scott setting the table for an RBI single through the left side of the infield off the bat of cleanup hitter Gianna Pancost. Tayler McCombs followed Pancost's run-scoring hit with a walk of her own that loaded the bases for the Mountain Lions, but the next two UCCS hitters were retired by SRSU starting pitcher Janelle Leanos to keep the damage at just one run.
- Following a scoreless bottom half of the frame by UCCS starting pitcher Abby Hayes, the Mountain Lions added a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to push their advantage to 3-0. Freshman Addy Baxter led off the frame with a double over the centerfielder's head and Mackenzie Johnson followed with a walk that put two runners on base with nobody out in the inning. After a short ground ball to the pitcher by Goldsworth advanced the runners to second and third, two-hole hitter Jacqueline Berkowitz laced a single to left field that cashed in both runners and forced the Lobos to make their first pitching change of the ballgame with Addison Castilleja entering the circle in relief of Leanos. Castilleja managed to record the final two outs of the inning to keep the Mountain Lion lead at three runs.
- Both teams were held off the scoreboard in the third inning, but the UCCS offense went back to work in the fourth frame as the Mountain Lions used a leadoff single from Goldsworth and walks by Berkowitz and Scott to promptly load the bases with nobody out. The meat of the Mountain Lions' order wasted little time taking advantage of the runners on base as Pancost lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home a run before McCombs lined a two-RBI single to center field that gave UCCS a 6-0 lead. After Castilleja issued a walk to Laynee Case in the next at-bat, the Lobos went to their bullpen once again as they brought in Jaclyn Pate to stop the bleeding. The pitching change paid off for Sul Ross State as Pate retired the first two hitters she faced to end the inning.
- In the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Lobos finally began to find some traction on the offensive side of the ball as Andrea Apodaca led off with a home run over the left field fence to cut the Mountain Lions' lead to 6-1. The Lobos kept their momentum rolling after the leadoff home run with their next two hitters reaching base on an error and a single before coming around to score on a triple by Kaitlynn Frakes. Hayes managed to get a pair of groundouts for the first two outs of the inning after Frakes' triple but surrendered a two-out single to left field off the bat of Jenna Leanos that made it a 6-4 game and prompted UCCS head coach Dwight Sanders to call on Autumn Kunze from the bullpen. Kunze made quick work of the first batter she faced as she got a ground ball to third base to complete the inning.
- UCCS found a quick answer in the top of the fifth inning as a leadoff single by Johnson keyed a three-run inning that pushed the Mountain Lions' lead back to five runs. After pinch-runner Alyssa Gutierrez replaced Johnson on first base, Goldsworth hastily brought her home with an RBI double down the left field line and immediately came around to score herself on an RBI single by Berkowitz. Following an infield single off the bat of Scott, UCCS benefitted from a defensive error by the Lobos that brought Berkowitz across the plate for the final run of the frame, pushing the Mountain Lions' lead to 9-4.
- Apodaca cut the Lobos deficit to four runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning as she unleashed her second solo home run of the game, but the Mountain Lions once again had a rapid response in the top of the sixth frame as an RBI double from Goldsworth and an RBI groundout by Berkowitz pushed the UCCS advantage to six runs at 11-5.
- Freshman Janessa Giugliano took over inside the circle for the Mountain Lions to open the bottom of the sixth inning and had a difficult collegiate debut as she retired just two of the 12 batters she faced with the Lobos plating eight runs on six walks and four hits to surge out to a 13-11 lead. With their once secure lead having vanished, the Mountain Lions turned to senior pitcher Kailey Bond to finish the inning, and she did just that as she induced a ground ball for the third out of the frame to send the game to the seventh inning with UCCS needing at least a pair of runs.
- With the game on the line in the top half of the seventh inning, the Mountain Lions' offense wasted no time regaining the momentum as Pancost led off the frame with a single through the left side and immediately advanced to third base on a double into the left center gap by McCombs. Case was the next hitter to the plate and she lined the second pitch she saw into center field for a two-RBI single that brought both runners around to score and evened the game at 13 runs apiece. After Case tied the game, the hit-parade continued as Halley Redd placed a single into right field before Baxter ripped a two-RBI single to the left side that put the Mountain Lions back ahead by a pair of runs, 15-13.
- Now holding a two-run lead, Bond continued to toe the rubber for UCCS in the bottom half of the seventh inning and managed to sit down three of the four hitters she faced in a scoreless frame to secure the Mountain Lions' first victory of the season.
STATS FROM GAME ONE – SUL ROSS STATE
- The Mountain Lions recorded 15 runs and 19 hits in their season-opener while drawing seven walks and striking out just two times.
- Goldsworth provided a spark from the leadoff spot in the lineup as she posted a 5-for-6 batting line with two doubles, two RBIs, three runs scored, and three stolen bases.
- In addition to Goldsworth's huge game, each of the remaining eight starters in the lineup recorded at least one hit with six of them notching two-hit performances.
- Berkowitz paced the team with four RBIs out of the two-hole in the lineup, while Goldsworth, Pancost, McCombs, Case, and Baxter each added two RBIs apiece.
- Hayes drew the start for UCCS inside the circle and tossed 3.2 innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk. Kunze struck out two batters in 1.1 innings pitched and went on to surrender one earned run on two hits while Giugliano tossed 0.2 innings in her first collegiate appearance.
- Bond (1-0) secured her first win of the season as she threw the 1.1 scoreless innings to finish the ballgame, allowing just a pair of walks and no hits while striking out two hitters.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO – UT PERMIAN BASIN
- Following a scoreless top of the first inning, the Mountain Lions found themselves in an early hole as Angelina Arriaga came through with a two-RBI single up the middle that gave the Falcons a 2-0 lead after one frame.
- UT Permian Basin's advantage disappeared in the top of the second inning as the Mountain Lions took advantage of some shaky defense on the part of the Falcons to take a 3-2 lead with a trio of unearned runs.
- The Mountain Lions added three more runs to their tally in the top of the third inning with a leadoff walk by Genesis Jaramillo followed by a single from Case setting the stage for the rally. RBI singles from Redd and Gutierrez started the scoring in the frame before a bases-loaded walk by Scott pushed the Mountain Lions advantage to 6-2.
- Arriaga struck again for the Falcons in the bottom of the fourth inning as she lifted a deep home run over the center field fence to cut her team's deficit to just three runs. In the top of the fifth, the Mountain Lions responded to Arriaga's blast with three runs of their own with one run coming across on a defensive error and two more coming on a two-RBI single by Jaramillo that pushed the lead to 9-3.
- After UTPB added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut their deficit to 9-4, the Mountain Lions' offense went ballistic in the top of the sixth frame as they sent 12 hitters to plate and strung together six hits, two walks, and an error to plate nine runs for an 18-4 advantage. UCCS managed to keep the Falcons off the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning to finish off a run-rule victory.
STATS FROM GAME TWO – UT PERMIAN BASIN
- The Mountain Lions continued their hot hitting in the second game of Friday's doubleheader as they scored 18 runs on 17 hits and eight walks while striking out just two times.
- Gutierrez put together a perfect 4-for-4 batting line from the nine-hole in the lineup as she drove in a pair of runs and scored three times.
- Five additional Mountain Lion players recorded multi-hit performances with Goldsworth, Berkowitz, Jaramillo, Case, and Redd each notching two hits in the game.
- For a second straight game, Berkowitz led the Mountain Lions with four RBIs. Scott drove in three runs for UCCS, while Jaramillo, Steinmetz, and Gutierrez each drove home two runs.
- Bond (2-0) started the game inside the circle for the Mountain Lions and proceeded to toss four innings while allowing three runs on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
- Charlee Hoover entered the game in relief of Bond in the fifth inning, surrendering just one earned run across two innings pitched with five strikeouts.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With her batting line against Sul Ross State, Goldsworth became the first UCCS student-athlete to record five hits in a single game since Brianna Santos achieved the feat against Colorado School of Mines on Feb. 21, 2020.
- As a team, the Mountain Lions' 19 hits against Sul Ross State were the program's most in a single game since April 25, 2021, when the team notched 20 hits against New Mexico Highlands University.
- The Mountain Lions have now started 2-0 in back-to-back campaigns. Prior to 2025 and 2026, the last time the Mountain Lions recorded back-to-back wins to start the year was the 2016 season.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will continue the South Central Regional Crossover tournament tomorrow as they match up with Western New Mexico University at 10 a.m. before clashing with No. 8 nationally ranked West Texas A&M University at 3 p.m.
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.
