COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team dropped the first two games of their series against Colorado State University Pueblo on Friday afternoon, falling by a score of 6-2 in the first game of the day before dropping a 13-7 decision to finish the doubleheader.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Game 1: UCCS 2, CSUP 6 | Game 2: UCCS 7, CSUP 13
Records: UCCS (24-15, 18-12 RMAC), CSUP (29-11, 25-5 RMAC)
Location: Mountain Lion Field | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions fall to 61-68 all-time against the ThunderWolves.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- Following a scoreless inning to begin the ballgame, the ThunderWolves struck first in the top half of the second frame as Reese Reimler launched a solo home run over the left center field fence against UCCS starting pitcher Autumn Kunze.
- With the Mountain Lions still trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Laynee Case sparked a small rally against the reigning RMAC Pitcher of the Week in CSU Pueblo's McKenna James as she led off the frame with a single up the middle. After Jennavieve Goldsworth reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second base with one out in the frame, the Mountain Lions benefited from some shaky defense by the ThunderWolves as Alyssa Gutierrez hit a fielder's choice to second base and the return throw to first base was high, which allowed the runner from second base to score the game-tying run.
- The 1-1 tie was short-lived as Caitlyn Cole led off the top of the fourth inning with a solo home run that put the ThunderWolves back ahead 2-1, but UCCS managed to get another rally going in the bottom of the fourth with Mackenzie Scott hitting a one-out single to left field before immediately being brought around to score on an RBI double into the right center field gap by Halley Redd.
- The ThunderWolves took advantage of the long ball once again in the top of the fifth inning as Madelyn Huerta led off the frame with a single before Emma Case unloaded a two-run home run over the center field fence that made it a 4-2 game in favor of CSU Pueblo. Following a scoreless bottom of the fifth inning, UCCS made a pitching change in the top of the sixth as Janessa Giugliano took the rubber for the Mountain Lions, but the ThunderWolves continued to show off their power with Gissel Morales-Cermeno hitting a two-out, solo home run to push the score to 5-2.
- CSU Pueblo added another run to their advantage in the top of the seventh inning and, outside of a two-out double by Katie Steinmetz in the bottom half of the seventh, were unable to scratch any additional runs across against James as they dropped the first game of the series by a score of 6-2.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
- Both teams recorded six total hits in the series-opener with the Mountain Lions hitting a pair of doubles and the ThunderWolves hitting four home runs.
- Redd recorded the lone RBI of the game for the Mountain Lions with her RBI double in the third inning.
- Kunze (9-3) was saddled with her third loss of the season as she surrendered four earned runs across five innings pitched while striking out a season-high eight batters.
- Giugliano tossed the final two innings of the game for the Mountain Lions, giving up a pair of earned runs while recording two strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The ThunderWolves opened the second game of Friday's doubleheader with some quick momentum as they used a pair of walks and a single to load the bases against UCCS starting pitcher Kailey Bond with nobody out in the top of the first frame. Following a popup for the first out of the inning, CSU Pueblo brought home their first two runs of the game on a fielding error by the Mountain Lions at second base and saw two more runs score on back-to-back well-placed bunts. Cali Cole put an exclamation point on the inning during the next plate appearance, lifting a three-run home run over the left field fence to give the ThunderWolves an early 7-0 lead.
- The Mountain Lions found a two-out response in the bottom half of the first inning as Gianna Pancost, Steinmetz, and Addy Baxter launched back-to-back-to-back home runs against CSUP starting pitcher Eva Miller-Sanchez to cut the deficit to 7-3.
- Miller-Sanchez settled into the game after the first inning as she kept the Mountain Lions scoreless in the second and third innings, but the ThunderWolves kept their power stroke going as Morales-Cermeno hit a two-run home run in the top of the second inning before Darleen Falcon and Morales-Cermeno each posted solo home runs in the top of the fourth frame to push the CSU Pueblo lead to 11-3.
- The ThunderWolves' eight-run lead held until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Mountain Lions started to chip away at the deficit with Pancost lifting a three-run home run for her second bomb of the game, making it an 11-6 ballgame. CSU Pueblo added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning to push the game back to 13-6 and, despite the Mountain Lions scoring a run in the bottom half of the frame, both teams went scoreless in the seventh inning with the ThunderWolves securing a 13-7 victory.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions outhit the ThunderWolves 10-8 in the second game of the doubleheader with three different student-athletes recording two-hit performances.
- Pancost posted a 2-for-4 line at the plate with a pair of home runs and four RBIs, while Steinmetz hit her fifth home run of the season and Baxter launched her third long ball of the season.
- Bond (7-5) took her fifth loss of the season after surrendering nine runs (eight earned) across three innings pitched. The senior hurler allowed three hits and four walks without striking out a batter.
- Charlee Hoover pitched the final four innings of the game, allowing four earned runs on five hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With her season-high eight strikeouts in today's game, Kunze now has 311 in her career at UCCS and sits just 12 away from passing Becca Smith for fourth all-time in the category.
UP NEXT
- UCCS will wrap up their four-game set against CSU Pueblo tomorrow with another doubleheader set to begin at 11 a.m. from Mountain Lion Field.
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.
