COMMERCE, Texas— The Colorado Mesa University softball team saw its 2021 season come to an end on Friday evening as the tournament's fourth-seeded Mavericks fell 3-1 to fifth-seeded and host Texas A&M University-Commerce for the second time in three days at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional here at the Lions' John Cain Family Softball Complex.
 
The Mavericks were held to a season-low two hits, which came in the each of the final two innings, as the Lions broke a 1-1 deadlock with a 2-run play in the bottom of the sixth to claim the win.
 
CMU, ranked 15^th nationally, finishes the season with a 39-5 record, equal to their fewest losses ever, when the 2018 team went 48-5.
 
Notably, Lauren Wedman finished the season with a .514 batting average as she broke Brooke Hodgon's CMU single-season record of .508, set that year.
 
Lion pitcher Alyssa LeBlanc retired each of the first nine Mavericks she faced, including four by strikeout.  Meanwhile, the Lions had taken an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second with Chealsea Slider tripled down the right field line with one out before scoring on a Jasmine Mott RBI groundout.
 
The Mavericks then tied the game in the top of the fourth without the aid of the hit as Brooke Doumer drew a lead-off walk before moving to second on a Wedman sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch.
 
Ellie Smith then walked before Sarah Staudle, who later broke up the Lions' combined no-hitter in the sixth, reached on an RBI fielder's choice as the Lions failed to get Smith out at second.
 
After Nicole Christensen was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, the Mavericks then left the bases loaded failing to take the lead.
 
The Lions then missed on their chances to take the lead leaving two runners on in both the fourth and fifth innings before converting in the sixth as lead-off single, one-out walk and 2-out hit by pitch loaded the bases for Ta'Lyn Moody, who hit an infield single to plate Mott with the go-ahead run.  Uxua Modrego also scored on an overthrow trying to nab Moody.
 
The Mavericks then managed only a 2-out Ashley Bradford single in the top of the seventh as the Lions completed the win.
 
Emily Otto (14-6) received the decision for the Lions after throwing 3 2/3 innings of 2-hit relief.
 
Smith (13-1) took her first loss of the year for the Mavericks after throwing the same amount of innings while giving up five hits and striking out four.
 
Despite Friday's loss, the Mavericks finished the season averaging an impressive 8.95 runs, the most in Division II, and 10.79 hits per game.