DURANGO, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team claimed a 10-4 victory in its first game and a 9-8 win in nine innings in the second in Sunday's doubleheader against Fort Lewis College.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 10, FLC 4 | Game 2/9: UCCS 9, FLC 8
Records: UCCS (13-12, 7-9 RMAC), CCU (3-23, 2-14 RMAC)
Game 1 Location: FLC Aspen Field – Durango, Colo.
Game 2 Location: FLC Aspen Field – Durango, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions move to 36-15 all-time against the Skyhawks.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE

• After the UCCS offense was retired in order to begin the game, Mountain Lions starter Charlee Hoover struck out the side in the bottom half of the first inning. Still scoreless, Hoover would start the bottom of the second inning with two more strikeouts before giving up back-to-back hits on an infield single and another to left center field as the Skyhawks took an early 1-0 lead.
• Laynee Case and Alyssa Gutierrez began the third inning with singles followed by a sacrifice bunt from Jennavieve Goldsworth to move them into scoring position. Jacqueline Berkowitz would then single to the pitcher and load the bases, but Fort Lewis would escape the jam after a fielder's choice at home plate and a ground out back to the pitcher, as the Mountain Lions still trailed 1-0.
• The Skyhawks would add another run to their lead in the bottom of the third thanks to a sacrifice fly to left field to score Alex Tenorio after she led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball. Hoover went on to strike out another FLC batter and retired the third on a flyout to end the inning.
• The Mountain Lions answered back in the fourth inning as Gutierrez hit a triple past a diving center fielder to score Case and Halley Redd. Goldsworth would then reach safely on an error by the shortstop and plate another run for UCCS and take a 3-2 lead.
• After Autumn Kunze pitched a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts in the fourth, the Mountain Lions continued to add more runs in the fifth. Katie Steinmetz hit a pinch-hit single that scored both Addie Baxter and Gianna Pancost who reached on singles of their own as the score moved to 5-2 heading into the bottom half of the inning. The Skyhawks would go on to lessen the deficit to one on a two out, RBI single to center field by Skyler Dietz followed by another from Carmen Alexander.
• Up to bat in the sixth inning, the first three Mountain Lions reached base safely to bring up Mackenzie Scott with the bases loaded. Scott would groundout to the short stop to score the sixth run of the game for UCCS. Pancost then came up to the plate and hit a double down the right field line to score Genesis Jaramillo and Goldsworth as the Mountain Lions took an 8-4 lead with an inning and a half remaining.
• After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, the Mountain Lions added some more insurance in the top half of the seventh inning. Tayler McCombs led off the inning with a walk, followed by an RBI double to left field by Case. Gutierrez then hit a single up the middle to plate Case as UCCS went up by six before recording an out in the seventh. The Mountain Lions would go on to take game one 10-4 after a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

STATS FROM GAME ONE

• The Mountain Lions recorded 10 runs and 13 hits in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader while drawing five walks and striking three times.
• Gutierrez went a perfect 4-for-4, scored two runs and tallied three RBIs.
• Five of the Mountain Lions' starters recorded a hit on Friday morning, as Gutierrez led with four while Baxter notched three.
• Hoover drew the start for UCCS inside the circle and tossed three innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits, no walks, and six strikeouts. Kunze pitched four innings in relief to notch a save for UCCS and surrendered two runs (two earned) on seven hits, no walks, and two strikeouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO

• After going down in order to begin the game, the Mountain Lions quickly surrendered an early run in the bottom of the first, but starting pitcher Kailey Bond soon retired three in a row to take the 0-1 deficit into the second.
• Fort Lewis would add more to its lead in the second inning, as Alyssa Fockler led off with a home run to left field to take a two-run lead. The Skyhawks went on to score two more and go up 4-0 heading into the third inning.
• The first base runner for UCCS came in the third inning when Jaramillo reached third base safely with one out after a single some fielding mishaps by the FLC defense. Mackenzie Johnson would then hit a sacrifice fly to left center field as the Mountain Lions scored their first run of game two. Hannah Hunt came out to pitch in relief for Bond in the bottom of the third, hit her first batter, and proceeded to retire her next three as the score remained at 4-1 heading into the fourth. The Skyhawks would plate two more in the bottom of the fourth on a bases loaded, infield single.
• Baxter would lead off the fifth inning with a triple to left center and would score on a throwing error on a fielder's choice off the bat of Jaramillo. Case would then hit a single up the middle to plate another base runner as the Mountain Lions moved within three runs of FLC.
• The Mountain Lions scored two more runs in the sixth inning as Scott led off with a home run to left field, and Jaramillo hit a double to center that scored Redd. After pulling within a run of the Skyhawks, the UCCS defense would allow two more runs in the bottom of the sixth as the score moved to 8-5 in favor of Fort Lewis heading into the seventh.
• The UCCS lineup would land two runners in scoring position with one out in their final chance to bat. They scored one on an error and two more on a single up the middle from Baxter as the score landed tied at eight apiece before heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Skyhawks went down in order in the seventh to move the game into an extra inning.
• Neither team would reach base safely in the eighth inning as the game would head into the ninth where Gutierrez would lead off with a single through the right side of the infield and soon stole second to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. The next UCCS batter, Scott doubled to right center field as the Mountain Lions took their first lead of the game in the top of the ninth. Kunze would retire the side in order in the bottom of the ninth as the Mountain Lions claimed a 9-8 victory in game two.

STATS FROM GAME TWO

• Baxter led the Mountain Lions with three hits, while Scott also had a big game with three RBIs.
• Five different Mountain Lions notched an RBI in the second game of Friday's doubleheader (Scott, Baxter, Jaramillo, Case and Johnson).
• Bond started the game inside the circle for the Mountain Lions and pitched two innings, allowed four runs (four earned), walked one, and struck out one.
• Hunt pitched two innings in relief and allowed three hits, two earned runs, and one walk. Janessa Giugliano pitched three innings in relief and allowed one hit, two runs (one earned), one walk, and two strikeouts.
• Kunze (6-2) pitched two innings in relief and got the win for UCCS, allowing no runs and striking out one.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Autumn Kunze's fourth inning strikeout in game one moved her to sole possession of fifth all time for UCCS pitchers in strikeouts, surpassing Taylor Reidhead who tallied 284 in her career.
• Gutierrez' three RBIs in game one were the most she has had in a game this season.
• Hoover's six strikeouts in game one were the most she has had in a game this season.
• Baxter notched three hits in game one, marking her highest hit total in a game this season.
• Gutierrez went six for nine at the plate on Sunday to keep her batting average above .500 on the season (.591)

UP NEXT

• The Mountain Lions will head home to take on New Mexico Highlands University for a four-game series beginning Saturday, March 21^st. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12:00 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.  
 
 
  Read Full Article