GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Ellie Smith continued her impressive weekend as she hit a home run in both games while going 4-for-8 with six RBIs and a double to lead the Colorado Mesa University Maverick softball team to a key Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference doubleheader and weekend series sweep over the visiting Colorado Christian University Cougars on Senior Day at the CMU Softball Field.
 
Brooke Doumer, one of two CMU seniors recognized between the games, also had a 3-for-7, 4-RBI day as she hit a go-ahead and eventual game-winning 2-run homer in the first game and a go-ahead 2-run double in the second helping the Mavericks to 8-6 and 6-1 victories.
 
The wins allowed the nation's 17^th-ranked Mavericks to improve to 30-2 overall and in conference play, good for a commanding RMAC standings lead over MSU Denver (23-7 RMAC), which moved a half-game ahead of the Cougars (22-7 RMAC) for second place in the league.
 
After hitting two home runs in a 9-2 first game win on Saturday, Smith hit a 2-run shot in the bottom of the fourth inning of Sunday's first game as the Mavericks overcame a 6-0 deficit with a 7-run barrage in the inning to help take the win.  She also pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory in the circle.  Smith is now 11-0 on the year.
 
The Mavericks then had three separate 2-run innings in the second game as Doumer had a 2-run double in the first before Smith added another 2-run shot in the fifth while adding her national-leading 20^th double of the season to plate two insurance runs after the Cougars' Sydney Reamer had homered in the top of the sixth to cut CMU's lead to 4-1.
 
Meanwhile, Paige Adair (14-1) allowed just five hits and the one run while striking out four to earn the complete game win after being roughed up a bit her first game start.
 
Game 1
 
The Cougars scored the game's first six runs, scoring three in the third on a sacrifice fly and 2-run Piper Lujan homer.  Stephanie Day and Lujan then had RBI singles on back-to-back at bats in the top of the fourth as the Cougars took a 6-0 lead.
 
However, the Mavericks responded in a big way in the bottom of the fourth sending 11 hitters to the plate as the Cougars used three different pitchers in the 7-hit frame. 
 
Lauren Wedman had two singles in the inning, beginning it with one before Smith hit a homer to left to put the Mavericks on the board. 
 
After a double play erased a Nicole Christensen single, Maverick senior Sarah Staudle reached on an error before moving to second on an Aislyn Sharp walk and scoring on an Ashley Bradford single.  That prompted the first pitching change as Samaria Roope came on for Sydney Rawlings.
 
However, the change did not help as Camryn Mullen delivered a 2-run pinch-hit single to make the score 6-5.
 
Doumer then stepped up and hit her go-ahead 2-run homer to left center putting the Mavericks ahead, 7-6 as Jennifer Romero came on in place of Roope, who took the loss to fall to 5-3.
 
Wedman then delivered her second base-knock of the inning before the Cougars finally got out of the inning by striking out Smith.
 
In the circle after coming on in the fourth inning, Smith then allowed just on a 1-out walk in the top of the fifth as Christensen began the bottom half with a solo homer to give the Mavericks an 8-6 cushion.
 
The Mavericks then loaded the bases but could not push any more runs across.
 
The Cougars did manage a pair of 2-out singles in the sixth and another 1-out single in the seventh but stranded all three on base as the Mavericks held on to the victory.
 
The Cougars finished the contest with a 13-12 edge in hits.
 
However, the Mavericks had the three big home runs as Christensen went 3-for-4 to support Doumer and Smith.  Bradford also had a 2-hit game.
 
Game 2
 
The Mavericks wasted a lead-off Doumer walk and Smith 1-out single in the bottom of the first but were still the first to score as Drew Sims had a 2-out single after Bradford was hit by a pitch in the second.  That set up Doumer for her 2-run double to left center putting CMU ahead, 2-0.
 
Meanwhile, Adair was in control giving up just two singles, one of which was erased by a third-inning ending double play, in the opening four innings.
 
Then in the bottom of the fifth, Wedman hit a lead off triple to left before Smith belted her fourth home run of the series deep to left center to quickly double the Maverick lead to 4-0.
 
After Reamer's homer in the top of the sixth, the Mavericks then scored two more runs in a 2-out rally in the bottom of the sixth.  Doumer started the rally with a single before Wedman walked.  Smith then doubled both home.
 
Adair then got three consecutive fly outs in the top of the seventh complete the series sweep, CMU's sixth in eight weekend tries this year.
 
Smith was 3-for-4 with four RBIs in the game as Doumer and Wedman had three of the Mavericks' other six hits.
 
Julie Katz (8-2) took the loss for CCU.
 
Up Next
 
The Mavericks will now wrap up their regular season with eight consecutive road games.  They play at Chadron State in doubleheaders  on Friday and Saturday before making up their postponed March series with Fort Lewis, which has now been officially rescheduled for May 7-8 in Durango.
 
Depending on results from Wednesday's MSU Denver at Colorado Christian make-up doubleheader in Lakewood, the Mavericks could clinch their fifth consecutive RMAC title as soon as Friday.