LAKEWOOD, Colo.— The No. 11 Colorado Mesa University Softball team scored 13 runs in the first three innings of a 13-2 victory over New Mexico Highlands University and then overcame a 3-1 deficit for the second straight day against host Colorado Christian University to post a 5-3 win over the Cougars while sweeping a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pod series here at Lakewood Park.
 
The conference champion Mavericks, who improved to 42-7 overall, finished the regular season with a 35-4 RMAC record and will enter next week's RMAC Tournament as winners of five straight and 27 of their last 28 games.
 
CMU had clinched their fourth straight and 12^th overall conference crown with a 4-3 win over CCU on Friday as the Cougars finished the regular season with a 35-14 overall and 28-8 RMAC record after recording a 10-0, 5-inning victory over the Cowgirls to begin the day.  The Cougars will be the No. 2 seed in the RMAC Tournament, which begins Thursday morning at the CMU Softball stadium.
 
NMHU finished the year with 8-29 overall and 7-24 conference marks.
 
Senior Kaila Jacobi, who hit the go-ahead home run against CCU on Friday, went 5-for-6 with six RBIs throughout the day and had the game-winning RBI against the Cougars on Saturday.  Meanwhile, starting pitchers Kimbri Herring and McKenzie Surface each recorded their 19^th wins of the campaign from within the circle as the Maverick pitching staff gave up just five total hits in the two games combined.
 
New Mexico Highlands Game
 
The Mavericks scored five runs in the first inning and four more in both the second and third to dominate the Cowgirls from the start.  CMU finished with eight hits and took full advantage of five walks and three NMHU errors to win their 15th straight game over the Cowgirls dating back to 2015.
 
The Mavericks were able to play 18 total players in the blow-out as Jacobi went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBIs to lead the offensive attack.  Brooke Doumer and Kellie Mrofcza also scored three runs apiece.
 
In the bottom of the first, the Mavericks benefited from walks to Doumer and Mrofcza followed by the first Cowgirl error.  AnnMarie Torres then reached on a fielder's choice as Doumer crossed the plate with the opening run before Jacobi plated Mrofcza with the second.
 
A 2-run Alexa Samuels single and Jordyn Hays sacrifice fly also highlighted the inning.
 
In the second, Jacobi hit a 2-run triple after Doumer had led off the inning with a double before scoring on an error.  Freshman Lauren Wedman also continued her hot play with an RBI single.
 
The Cowgirls would get two runs back in the top of the third on a 2-run homer by Brooklynn DeLozier, their only hit of the game.
 
However, the Mavericks scored four runs in the bottom half as Torres hit a sacrifice fly to score Doumer before Jacobi hit an RBI single to score Mrofcza.  Sarah Staudle then drove home the game's final two runs with a single up the middle.
 
The Mavericks then made wholesale changes for the fourth and fifth innings as freshman Shea Mauser allowed just one walk and two baserunners in her two innings of relief of Herring, who allowed just one walk and the one home run while striking out four in her three innings to improve to 19-3.
 
Colorado Christian Game
 
The Mavericks drew first blood in the top half of the third when Jacobi brought home Doumer with a 2-out single.
 
However, Stephanie Day hit her third home run of the series with the Mavericks in the bottom half to give CCU a 3-1 lead with three unearned runs in an inning, which was extended by a 1-out error.
 
The Mavericks then left two potential game-tying runs on base in the top of the fourth before Bailey Kleespies tied the game with a 2-run homer, her fourth of the season, after Jacobi had drawn a 1-out walk.
 
In the sixth, the Mavericks took a 4-3 lead as Mrofcza hit a 2-out double down the left field, scoring two plays later on a Jacobi RBI single after a Torres walk.
 
The Mavericks then tacked on an insurance run with two outs in the seventh as Wedman singled to begin the inning before scoring on a Samuels single.
 
Meanwhile, Surface retired eight straight Cougar batters and 13 of their final 15 after Day's home run to improve to 19-1.  She allowed just four hits and three unearned runs while striking out eight.
 
Eight different Mavericks combined to ding Cougar pitchers Jennifer Romero and Kenzie Mattey for 11 hits.  Jacobi, Mrofcza and Wedman had two each.