Fort Lewis College Skyhawks women’s softball were outplayed by the # 22 team in the nation Colorado Mesa University Mavericks in both games of the opening doubleheader Saturday in Aztec, New Mexico.
The Skyhawks, 4-27 overall and 3-19 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, lost the first game 5-2 with senior Olivia Goldberg pitching a complete game on 99 pitches but ultimately picking up the loss.
The Mavericks, 26-4 overall and 19-2 in the RMAC, were clearly the better team all day long. They scored their first run of the game in the top of the third inning on a heads up baserunning play by senior Sarah Phillis which gave the Mavs a 1-0 lead.
Mesa brought home two more in the top of the fourth when Junior Brooke Hodgson hit a two-run homer and extended the lead to 3-0.
The Skyhawks showed their grit and resiliency when junior Lauren Caldwell doubled home two runs in the bottom of the fourth and brought the lead back to one, 3-2.
The Mavs added two in the fifth and pulled out the win over the Skyhawks in the first game of the DH, 5-2. Sophomore pitcher McKenzie Surface pitched a complete game six hitter on 107 pitches.
Colorado Mesa did not let up in the second game, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning, giving the Mavs a lead that they would never relinquish.
Skyhawk sophomore Angelique Elemen tried to keep FLC afloat on offense when she hit a boomer of a home run in the bottom of the first inning but Mesa was just too much to overcome.
Hodgson added two two-run homers, one in the second and one in the fourth, plus an RBI single to help the Mavs get a 15-3 win in five innings over the Skyhawks.
Hodgson had herself a day for the Mavs with three home runs and seven RBI on the day.
Mesa will come in looking for the sweep as the two teams play another doubleheader tomorrow at 11 A.M. and 1 P.M. in Aztec to finish up the four game series.