FLC came into this weekend series against Regis University looking for their first in conference win of the season after a brutal stretch to start the campaign. The team accomplished this goal on Saturday and was able to split the four game weekend series with RU with another win on Sunday in the second game of the double header.
The Skyhawks came into this series against Regis with an overall record of 1-20 and at the bottom of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings with an 0-12 conference record. On the other hand, Regis entered the weekend as a middle of the pack team in the RMAC with an overall record of 14-14 and 6-6 in conference.
FLC opened day one of the series by splitting with Regis and getting their first conference win of the season. FLC was stifled by RU in the first game Sunday, losing 8-3, but was able to split the series with a win in the second game, 5-3.
“I think this proved something to our team that we can play with anyone in this conference,” FLC head coach Elle Fracker said. “It just took getting over that hump to believe it.”
In the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, RU and FLC were locked in a pitching duel through three innings with the only run coming from Regis when Skyhawk starting pitcher, freshman Olivia Bratt, pitched a bases loaded walk in the second inning to give RU a 1-0 lead.
Regis started to separate in the top of the fourth by scoring three more runs and chasing Bratt out of the game. Senior Olivia Goldberg relieved Bratt and inherited two baserunners who subsequently scored and were credited to Bratt. Bratt’s final line was four earned runs on four hits and five walks. The Rangers took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the frame.
The Skyhawks tried to keep the game close by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth, making the score 4-2, but the Rangers’ pitcher Logan Losh was just too much for the Skyhawk lineup. Losh allowed only three runs, only two of them earned, on three hits and one walk.
The Rangers added three runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth to cap off their 16th victory of the season, 8-3.
“We had one game this series that I wasn’t really happy about and that was our first game today,” Fracker said.
The Skyhawks looked to rebound in the second game of the double header with freshman pitcher Madison Stanich facing off against Losh. Losh started both games of this double header even after throwing 95 pitches and a complete game in the first. Losh is a transfer from Colorado State University so it shows that RU has a lot of trust in her to get the job done.
The second game started off being very briskly played with both pitchers only allowing one hit each and the score being 0-0 through two innings.
Breaking through in the third inning though was the Skyhawks. Sophomores Gianna Melaragno and Angelique Elemen along with junior Lauren Caldwell all had RBI-singles in the bottom of the third inning to give the Skyhawks a 3-0 lead going into the fourth.
Stanich finally showed signs of weakness after throwing three shutout innings to start the game when she allowed a two-run homer to RU senior Alyssa Finger in the top of the fourth which made the game 3-2 with the Skyhawks holding a narrow lead.
Both teams were struggling scoring with runners in scoring position in the fifth inning. Stanich got out of a bases loaded jam in the top half of the inning and then the Skyhawks left the bases chucked themselves in the bottom half.
The Rangers broke through in the sixth though, tying the game with an RBI groundout by senior Bradey King. The Skyhawks would not give in though. Senior Adriana Rosthenhausler hit an RBI double for her third hit of the game and freshman Allison Young added on an RBI single to give the Skyhawks back the lead at 5-3 going into the final frame.
Stanich closed out her complete game with a shutout seventh inning, giving the FLC their second win of the year in the RMAC and a split of the season series with Regis.
“I’ve always been a pitcher that loves pressure so for me that was like, the best part,” Stanich said talking about pitching out of the bases loaded jam in the fifth. “I love pitching with the bases loaded rather than with nobody on, but I know coach doesn’t.”
RU is now 16-16 overall, 8-8 in conference. FLC is now 3-22 overall, 2-14 in conference.
Next games for FLC are next weekend in Alamosa against Adams St. for a four game set and then right back home against Colorado Mesa for a four game series on April 1st and 2nd.