DENVER— The Colorado Mesa University softball team posted 11 third-inning runs and claimed a 12-1 mercy-rule victory in five innings on Monday afternoon to salvage a doubleheader split and take their fourth straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series win of the season after taking three out of four on the road against host Regis University here at the Regis Softball Field.
 
The Rangers had won the first game 12-6 after three sixth-inning errors led to a 7-run Ranger inning, which allowed the hosts to come from behind to take the earlier win.
 
That loss ended CMU's year-plus long winning streak of 16 games although the nation's 20^th-ranked Mavericks maintained their RMAC lead with a 15-1 overall and conference record, four more conference wins than Colorado Christian, who do has a mid-week series upcoming against last place Black Hills State.
 
Monday's split moved the Rangers to 12-6 overall and dropped them to fifth in the RMAC standings at 9-5.
 
Game 1
 
The first game was a back-and-fourth affair.
 
The Mavericks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a 2-run homer by Ally Distler.  However, the Rangers answered back with four runs in the bottom of the second, including one on a Ashlynn Balliet homer and two more on a Jade Loe double.
 
In the third, the Mavericks put runners on the corners with two outs and scratched out a run when Lauren Wedman scored a moment before Distler was caught in a pickle.
 
The Mavericks then tied the game at 4 in the top of the fourth when Nicole Christensen singled and stole second before advancing to third on a Sarah Jorissen groundout.  Christensen then scored when Camryn Mullen had a pinch-hit sacrifice fly.
 
The Mavericks then regained the lead in the top of fifth as Wedman singled before Ellie Smith hit a 2-run homer to center to put CMU up 6-4.
 
Ranger pitcher Taylor Armitage then drew a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the bottom half of the inning to close the Mavs' lead to a single run.
 
The Rangers then exploded for seven runs, five of which were unearned, in the bottom of the sixth as they banged out seven hits, including six singles, while benefiting from three errors to take a 12-6 lead before closing out the game in the top of the seventh.
 
Wedman went 3-for-4 in the game and scored three runs while Distler went 2-for-3 with her third home run of the season.
 
All three Maverick pitchers worked in the game as Paige Adair started after tossing a 2-hit, 12-striekout shutout in Sunday's second game.  She went 1 2/3 innings and gave up four hits and four runs, although only one was earned.  Shea Mauser, now 2-1, took the loss after throwing 3 2/3 innings of relief.  Smith recorded the final two outs and was charged with three unearned runs.
 
Game 2
 
The Mavericks were the ones to put up a big inning as they scored all the runs they would need in the top of the third as the Mavs sent 15 batters to the plate, ten of which recorded hits.
 
Each of the first seven reached as Ashley Bradford singled before a Brooke Doumer bunt single moved her to second.  Doumer then stole second as Bradford scored on a throwing error in an attempt to nab her to pen the scoring. 
 
Wedman, who went 5-for-6 with two walks and five runs scored throughout the day, then tripled to bring home Doumer while Smith singled to score Smith.  A Distler single then prompted a pitching change before Christensen hit a 3-run homer to double the lead to 6-0.
 
Later in the inning, Wedman drew a bases-loaded walk before Smith hit a 3-run double.  Distler also had an RBI single to complete the barrage.
 
The Rangers did pull one run back in the bottom of the third with triples by Katherine Raper and Jessi Case but would get no closer as Christensen delivered another RBI single in the top of the fifth completed the scoring.
 
The Rangers also managed two of their four total hits in the bottom of the fifth but could not score as the game ended early.
 
The Mavericks finished the game with 14 as five different Mavericks finished with two.  Smith and Christensen both had 4-RBI games.
 
Adair improved to 8-0 with the win after giving up just the lone run while striking out five.
 
Up Next
 
The Mavericks will now return home and have a short turn-around before hosting New Mexico Highlands in a 4-game series on Friday and Saturday.  The Cowgirls are 5-15 overall and in the conference after dropping three of four in a home series with Chadron State over the weekend.
 
Friday's doubleheader is slated for noon while Saturday's will commence at 11 a.m.