The University of Colorado- Colorado Springs Mountain Lions women’s softball came into Saturday’s pre-Easter doubleheader looking to win three out of four games against the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks in their four-game weekend series. They accomplished their goal by winning the first game 8-4 and the second game 5-4.
The series win puts UCCS at 12-25 overall and 11-21 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. On the other hand, the series puts FLC at 6-35 overall and 5-27 in the RMAC. The Skyhawks stay in 11th place in the RMAC while the Mountain Lions stay at 10th.
In the first game of the day, the Mountain Lions started to pound Skyhawk starter Kelly Decker from the start of the first inning in game where Decker really did not have her command intact.
Decker hit UCCS batter Whitney Weber in the first, who later scored on a wild pitch. After getting a 1-0 lead in the first, UCCS added three more in the second, two singles and a Decker walk, loading up the bases and then sophomore Melissa Martinek hit a three-run triple.
UCCS scored one more in the third and two in the fourth as they pushed their lead to 7-0 by the start of the fifth.
Decker continued her erratic pitching throughout the day. She pitched four innings, walking two and hitting an astounding five Mountain Lions. This was the difference in the game as Decker gave UCCS seven free baserunners.
FLC tried to mount a comeback in the fifth and sixth scoring two runs in each frame but running out of gas by the end and falling to the Mountain Lions in the first of the doubleheader, 8-4.
The second game of the day was a much more hotly contested one.
FLC sophomore Angelique Elemen mashed her 12th homer of the season over the fence to give the Skyhawks the early 1-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, the Hawks added to their lead when with the bases loaded, senior short-stop Yaya Rosthenhausler hit a clutch one-out two-run double to extend the lead to 3-0.
UCCS came back with a vengeance though in the top of the fifth. Junior Kylie Barnard clobbered a ball and sent it over the fence for two runs, which was followed by a one run double and then a statement two-run homer by sophomore Rayle Glover to give the Mountain Lions the 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth.
The Hawks tried to get something going in the seventh inning by loading the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly made the game 5-4 in favor of the Mountain Lions with runners on first and second with Allison Young up to bat.
Young couldn’t drive in the game-tying run and the Skyhawks dropped the final game 5-4 and the series 3-1.
The Skyhawks next series is next weekend CSU-Pueblo for their final road games of the year.
Happy Easter Everybody.