GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Hannah Sattler and Marisa Nehm both recorded shutouts as the Colorado Mesa University Mavericks used the long ball to generate much of the offense en-route to 10-0 and 5-0 wins over the visiting UCCS in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Athletic softball doubleheader on Sunday here at the CMU Softball Stadium.
 
The Mavericks also hit five home runs as they extended their winning streak to a dozen while improving to 19-8 overall and to 17-2 in RMAC play with a third straight series sweep.  UCCS, shutout in three of the four games and held to just three runs throughout the weekend, fell to 8-21 overall and to 5-15 in league play.
 
Myah Arietta hit solo home runs in both games while Iliana Mendoza hit a 3-run shot, her first in two seasons as a Mav, to help CMU implement the mercy-rule in the 5-inning first game.  Ashley Bradford and Brandi Haller also homered in the first game.
 
Game 1
 
Sattler needed just 57 pitches to record her third successive shutout.  She allowed just two hits and improved to 10-4 while striking out three Mountain Lions without issuing any free passes.
 
The junior retired 12 straight batters after giving up a lead-off double and single to begin the second, as UCCS failed to convert on their early opportunities.
 
Meanwhile, the Mavericks plated the opening run when Dakota DiPaola hit an RBI groundout with the bases loaded and no body out in the bottom of the second.
 
They then added three more runs in the third, all on solo homers, as Arrieta and Bradford went back-to-back with homers to left as they chased starter Mackenzie Rutkoff (1-4).  Haller then hit a home run off reliever Lexi Rayburn just two plays later as the Mavs built a 4-0 lead.
 
The Mavs then scored six times in the fourth as Mendoza's 3-run homer raised their lead to 10-0.
 
Earlier, in the inning Rylee Crouch hit an RBI single to plate Aislyn Sharp, who had led off the inning with a double.  Haller then hit a 2-run single to score both Bradford and Crouch.
 
The Mavs finished with 12 hits as Arrieta, Haller and Sarah Jorissen all went 2-for-3 while Mendoza was 2-for-2 with a walk.
 
Game 2
 
Nehm registered her first collegiate shutout and allowed just five hits while improving to 3-0 after what was the freshman's first complete game effort.
 
The Mavs gave her a 1-0 lead when Arrieta hit a home run to the party deck in the bottom of the third.  However, they failed to put the game away, leaving eight runners on base in the first five innings and 11 overall.
 
However, that all changed in the bottom of the sixth as the Mavericks played station-to-station ball to put up four insurance runs.
 
Jorissen, Mendoza and Sharp all singled to begin the rally before Bradford drew a bases-loaded walk to score the second of the four runs.
 
Crouch then hit an RBI single through the left side before another Ava Fugate single off the pitcher completed the scoring.
 
The Mountain Lions would go on to load the bases in the top of the seventh thanks to two hit batters and infield single by Maddie Unrein, but could not score as the Mavs finished the game-off with a come-backer 1-2-3 double play.
 
The Mavs recorded ten hits as Jorissen went 3-for-3 while Mendoza went 2-for-2 with another walk to finish the weekend off with an .875 batting average and .917 on-base percentage.
 
Braelyne Crenshaw (1-9) went the distance for the Mountain Lions in the circle, but took the loss after surrendering five runs and four walks while striking out six Mavericks.
 
The Mavericks will now head on the road playing next weekend at Chadron State.  The Eagles split a Sunday doubleheader with the Colorado School of Mines to move to 8-18 overall and to 6-12 in RMAC play.  They will host the Orediggers in another twin-bill on Monday before turning their attention to CMU.