GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University Softball team and Mother Nature claimed Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference wins on Sunday as the Mavericks won a weather-plagued 9-0 decision over visiting Adams State University in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader while the second was washed away by rain.
Morning rain storms pushed the start of the morning game two hours back to 1 p.m. as the Mavericks prepped the CMU Softball Stadium field.
The teams then played for 19 minutes and in to the top of the second inning before a 36-minute lightning delay put a hold on proceedings.
After the delay, the Mavericks scored runs in each of their three offensive innings including a 6-pack in the bottom of the fourth while senior pitcher
Kimbri Herring tallied her second 2-hit shutout to help the Mavericks win their third 9-0, 5-inning game of the weekend series.
Offensively,
Kaila Jacobi delivered the biggest blow via a 3-run fourth inning home run as the Mavericks improved to 23-6 overall and to 16-3 in the RMAC with their eighth straight win.
The Grizzlies fell to 6-23 overall and to 6-13 in conference play as they were held to just seven hits and without a run in what amounted to a 3-game series.
Shortly after the conclusion of Sunday's first game, another lightning delay was called before another heavy wave of rain minutes later made the field unplayable, forcing the cancellation of the final game of the weekend set, which will not be made up.
With no score and two outs and two on in the top of the second, the Grizzlies failed to score as Herring got Hannah Wirtjes to foul out after the restart of the first light
The Mavericks then manufactured a run in the bottom of the second as
Jordyn Hays singled before stealing second, moving to third on an
Alexa Samuels groundout before scoring on a
Sarah Staudle sacrifice fly.
Herring then retired the Grizzlies in order in the third recording two of her three strikeouts before
Brooke Doumer led off the bottom of the third with a walk. After the junior centerfielder and lead-off hitter stole second, she then scored on a
Kellie Mrofcza triple, the senior shortstop's second of the weekend.
Jacobi, who had four RBIs on the day, then hit a sacrifice fly to extend the Mavericks' lead to 3-0.
In the fourth, Doumer made a nice shutout-preserving play in right center field to end the inning and take away a hit from Baylie Fryar after Julia Jimenez hit a 1-out double earlier in the frame.
Doumer then spoke with her bat as she hit a 2-run double in the bottom of the fourth as the Mavericks extended the lead to 5-0. Mrofcza, who had five extra-base hits in the series, then traded placed with Doumer with yet another Maverick double that made the score 6-0 while forcing Grizzly starting pitcher Brittany Phillips out of the game.
AnnMarie Torres then drew a third walk of the afternoon before Jacobi drove a 3-0 pitch from reliever Taylor Sandoval over the fence in left center as the Mavericks completed the scoring.
Herring then retired the Grizzlies in order to cap the game as she improved to 9-3 with her fifth shutout of the year.
Phillips took the loss and fell to 2-7 after allowing six hits, four walks and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The Mavericks finished with seven hits and did not strikeout.
CMU, which is 10-1 at home this year, will remain at home next weekend for a 4-game series with Black Hills State, which had their own weather issues over the weekend. The Yellowjackets (9-12, 6-7 RMAC) had their entire home series with New Mexico Highlands in Spearfish, South Dakota cancelled.
Next weekend's series is slated for doubleheaders at noon on Saturday and 11 a.m. next Sunday.
