THORNTON, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University softball team turned Friday's neutral-site Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference doubleheader against Black Hills State University into an intra-squad game of home run derby as the Mavericks produced their two highest single-game home run totals in the history of the program, hitting a whopping 15 in a pair of mercy rule wins over the Yellow Jackets here at Riverdale Ridge High School.
 
The Mavericks matched a RMAC record by hitting a school-record eight bombs in a 14-0, 5-inning Game 1 victory and then added seven more in a 6-inning, 16-5 second game win.  The Mavs hit five in the fourth inning alone of the second game and dished out their pain equally against three Yellow Jacket pitcher throughout the doubleheader as each of the three BHSU pitchers to work surrendered five.
 
The Mavs' former single-game record of home runs was six, last accomplished on Feb. 16, 2019 against Simon Fraser.
 
The Mavs are the fourth RMAC program to have hit eight in a game, joining Regis, MSU Denver, which had done it twice, and most recently Colorado Christian to have accomplished the feat, according to the NCAA Division II record book. 
 
Regis' effort, the first in RMAC history, had come against the Mavs in 2006.
 
Myah Arrieta hit four of the Mavericks' home runs, two in each game, as one of eight different Maverick hitters to hit one throughout the day.  Four other Mavericks, including Miranda Pruitt had two.  Pruitt hit both of her sin the first game, adding her second and the Mavs' fourth grand slam of the season.
 
She also added to her RMAC lead and now has 14 on the campaign, three more than Arrieta, who became just the second RMAC player to reach double-figures this season.
 
The home run fest somewhat overshadowed an absolutely impressive pitching performance from Preslee Christensen, who allowed just two hits while recording a career-high 13 strikeouts in the opener, retiring all but four of the 17 hitters she faced on strikes.  The shutout was her first as Mav since transferring from Utah State-Eastern.
 
CMU has now won 11 straight game and improved to 21-7 overall and to 19-3 in RMAC play with the doubleheader sweep.  BHSU, enjoying its best season since joining the league in 2012 prior to Friday, fell to 10-15 overall and to 9-11 in conference play.
 
CMU came into the series ranked eighth in the nation for total home runs with 43 and third for home runs per game.  They will rank as high as second after the day with 58.
 
Five of the other 11 RMAC teams, including BHSU, have hit less than 12 home runs all season.
 
In the first game, the Mavericks scored all 14 runs on home runs as they recorded 13 hits including a double.  They managed 38 total bases in that game before registering 42 in the second game, the fourth best total in program history, on 17 total hits, four of which were for doubles.  They also drew four walks in each contest.
 
In the first game, the Mavericks scored five runs in the second and fourth innings and three in the third when Pruitt and Makayla Westmoreland hit back-to-back jacks.
 
Pruitt then added her grand slam in the fourth before pinch-hitter Allison Lindsay hit the first of her collegiate career on the ensuing play.  Lindsay is the tenth Maverick to join the home run club this season.
 
Arrieta had her home runs in the second and fifth innings while Chloe Valdez started the bomb-hitting spree in the second before Iliana Mendoza hit one later in that inning.
 
Pruitt went 2-for-3 with six RBIs in the game while Arrieta was 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the game before a 4-for-4, 3 RBI game in the nightcap.
 
She and Jackie Oster both hit two homers in the second game while Ally Distler, Westmoreland, Mendoza also added fourth-inning blasts in the what was an 8-run Maverick inning.
 
The Mavs had trailed 1-0 early in that game but tied the game on Oster's first home run in the second before Arrieta doubled home Mendoza just two plays later in that inning.
 
In the fourth, Oster, Mendoza and Arrieta all hit consecutive blasts before Ava Fugate reached on a single, setting the table for Distler's 2-run shot.
 
The Yellow Jackets then made a pitching change to Malaya Coleman, who got the first out of the inning.  Pruitt then singled before Westmoreland hit her home run to make it a 10-1 game.
 
The 'Jackets did answer with three runs of their own, including a 2-run homer from Audrey Fouras, in the bottom half of the fourth.
 
However, the momentum would be short-lived as Arrieta hit her fourth home run of the day in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 11-4.
 
Fugate then added a 3-run double in the sixth while Lindsay and Distler both hit sacrifice flies as the Mavs went on to finish the game in the bottom of the sixth, when BHSU scored once on a fielder's choice.
 
Four different Mavericks in Arrieta, Fugate, Distler and Oster all had three RBIs in the second game.
 
Christa Zagala got the start in the circle and struck out five in 3 1/3 innings but was not eligible for the win, which instead went to Marisa Nehm, who allowed just four hits and one run in 2 2/3 innings of relief.
 
The two teams will play another doubleheader here on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.