COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team finished out their series against No. 18 nationally ranked Colorado Christian University today, falling 10-1 in game one and 4-0 in game two.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 1, #18 CCU 10 (5 Innings) | Game 2: UCCS 0, #18 CCU 4
Records: UCCS (8-9, 2-6 RMAC), CCU (18-2, 8-0 RMAC)
Game 1 Location: Mountain Lion Field – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Game 2 Location: Mountain Lion Field – Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions move to 11-31 all-time against the Cougars.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions found themselves in some trouble as the Cougars tacked on an early run, off a ground out to first that scored a runner from third. Despite having two runners on, senior pitcher Autumn Kunze was able to find her last out, meaning the Mountain Lions lineup would take their first at-bats facing a 1-0 deficit. This was until junior third baseman Jennavieve Goldsworth led off the Mountain Lions with an inside the park home run to tie the game at 1-1.
- Kunze struggled retiring batters in the top half of the second inning, allowing three hits, one of them being an RBI single by the Cougars to give themselves a 2-1 lead going into the bottom half of the inning. UCCS would then go one-two-three to retire the side in a scoreless effort.
- The Cougars led off the third inning with a double and a single to put themselves in a first and third situation with zero outs. They would follow that by tacking on a run with a sac fly to right field making it 3-1 Cougars. After another single and a walk, the Cougars had bases loaded with just one out. Kunze walked the following two batters, scoring two, and giving the Cougars a 5-1 lead. The Cougars then hit a 2 RBI single to make the score 7-1, forcing the Mountain Lions to substitute Kunze for senior pitcher Abby Hayes, who was able to work her way out of the inning. Despite a leadoff single by senior right fielder Alyssa Gutierrez, the Mountain Lions could not capitalize and left the inning still trailing 7-1.
- After a leadoff single, the Cougars added onto their lead with an RBI double in the top half of the fourth inning to make the score 8-1. In the bottom half, freshman catcher Addy Baxter gave the Mountain Lions a little bit of life with a two-out triple, however the Mountain Lions yet again couldn't capitalize, leaving the inning scoreless.
- The Cougars stayed on the gas pedal in the fifth inning, adding to their lead off a two-run home run by senior first baseman Arriana Wright, pushing the score to 10-1. This would be the eventual game winning runs as UCCS would go scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, leading to a 10-1 run-rule win for CCU.
STATS FROM GAME ONE
- The Mountain Lions recorded one run on four hits in the first game of Saturday's double header while drawing just one walk.
- Kunze started the first game throwing 2.2 innings, allowing five earned runs off eight hits, while walking three and striking out one. Hayes was the only pitcher to come into relief as she threw 2.1 innings, allowing three earned runs off just four hits while walking one.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The Cougars started game two the same way they left game one, with a two-run home run from Wright to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Goldsworth yet again gave the Mountain Lions a spark to start the game with a leadoff single. After several fielding errors by the Cougars, UCCS found themselves with the bases loaded, until a lineout to second ended the inning, leaving three on base.
- Senior pitcher Kailey Bond made quick work of the first two Cougar batters, striking out one and forcing one to pop into a lazy fly ball to first base. Despite a two out double, Bond was able to work out of the inning to keep the Mountain Lions deficit to just two. Offensively, the Mountain Lions again started with a leadoff single by sophomore shortstop Halley Redd but would again go one-two-three to close out the second inning.
- After a two-out walk by Bond, the Cougars capitalized by hitting yet another two-run blast, pushing the lead to 4-0. UCCS would not plate a run in the third, meaning they went into the fourth inning down by four runs.
- There was minimal action from an offensive standpoint moving forward; Bond and CCU sophomore pitcher Lisa Liddell went tit-for-tat for the next four innings seeing who could put away batters in a quicker manner. The Mountain Lions offense had a bit of a spark in the seventh inning with back-to-back singles from Goldsworth and Gutierrez, however, would ultimately fall short, dropping game two 4-0
STATS FROM GAME TWO
- Although they did not plate a run in game two, The Mountain Lions outhit the Cougars six-to-three.
- Bond recorded the start and did not give up the ball the entire game. The senior went seven innings, allowing four runs on just three hits, while walking three and striking out four.
- Goldworth and junior first baseman Gianna Pancost both tallied multi-hit games, including a double by Pancost in the third inning.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With another home run today, Goldsworth leads the Mountain Lions with ten extra-base hits.
- Bond threw her first complete game of the season, giving her twenty-five in her collegiate career between Black Hills State University and UCCS
- After striking out one today, Kunze needs just 14 strikeouts to move into a tie for fifth all-time (284) in program history for the category.
NEXT UP
- The Mountain Lions will face off against Chadron State University next Saturday, March 7th to begin a four-game series. First pitch of game one will be at 12 p.m. and game two will be at 2 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.
