COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Holding the Mountain Lions to just two runs on the day and pitching to their first shutout of the season, the Colorado Mesa University Softball Team picked up the series sweep of UCCS this afternoon as they won both games of the final double header at Mountain Lion Field.
The Mavericks completed the series sweep needing just 10 innings to make it happen today with both games ending in five innings due to eight-run mercy rule. They opened the day with an 11-2 victory to win the series before closing out the sweep with a 9-0 shutout.
The Mavs have now improved to an impressive 22-8 (20-4 RMAC) on the season while dropping the Mountain Lions to 20-14 (14-9 RMAC). In addition they are on 16 game winning-streak having swept their opponents the past four weeks of play.
Over the course of the weekend, Colorado Mesa allowed just five runs to the Mountain Lions while racking up 38 offensively. They have now run-ruled opponents five different times this season with each of them coming in five innings.
A total of 10 home runs were hit in the series for the Mavs with six of them coming today. Brynn Escobar led all players with four herself on the weekend.
Below is a short recap of each game:
GAME 1 (CMU 11, UCCS 2; 5 inn.):
Looking to win the series in the first game of the day, the Mavs were able to take care of business easily as they used a seven-run third inning to propel themselves to the victory.
Prior to the seven-run inning, in the early stages of the game the Mavs opened with them taking a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning thanks to the efforts of Brynn Escobar who hit her fourth home run of the series. The freshman was able to hit a three-run jack to start the game with her following Ally Distler and Chloe Valdez who both reached base on a walk and single.
The Mountain Lions grabbed two runs back in the bottom of the first on a home run of their own to draw the deficit down to one, but beyond that point were never able to score again.
Following a pair of zeros in the second, the Mavs started their offensive push in the third inning with five batters recording hits and nine in total reaching base. Makayla Westmoreland, Distler, Khloe Kubitschek, Jackie Oster and Myah Arrieta each had hits that inning. The trio of Kubitschek, Oster and Arrieta all recorded RBIs as well with Kubitschek having three alone on a bases clearing double.
Chloe Valdez added another run to follow in the fourth inning when she hit her fifth home run of the season on a solo shot.
Leading by nine runs now, the Mavs were able to end the game early soon after thanks to the conference's eight-run lead mercy rule.
Highlighting the team's pitching performance was Jessalyn Gallegos who went all five innings in the victory as she earned her 10th win of the season. The freshman only allowed three hits the whole game with both runs being unearned and her striking out two. She is now tied for second in the conference in wins with 10.
Escobar and Kubitschek led all Mavs with three RBIs each while the team in total collected 10 hits. Arrieta, Westmoreland and Valdez led the group with two hits apiece.
GAME 2 (CMU 9, UCCS 0; 5 inn.):
Following a close chance at a shutout in game one of the day, the Mavericks were finally able to capture that feat in game two as they rode a seven-hitter from Preslee Christensen to a 9-0 win.
Christensen never allowed a hit greater than a single in her outing as the Senior went the complete game while only allowing seven hits and striking out four.
Her efforts were aided by a long ball approach from the Mavs as the offense hit four home runs to score eight of the team's nine runs.
After an Ally Distler run from a dropped fly ball in the first inning, the Mavs had three different players hit home runs to follow in the next four innings to total the rest of the run support.
Olivia Litzen hit the first home run of that group in the second inning on an opposite field solo shot. She was then followed up by Myah Arrieta who hit another home run in that inning on a two-run shot to drive in her and Jackie Oster who had reached on a double.
Neither team scored in the third or fourth innings, but saw the zeros end soon after as the Mavs then put up five runs in the top of the fifth.
Scoring those five runs were the pair of Khloe Kubitschek and Arrieta who each hit the final two home runs.
Kubitschek hit a two-run bomb to begin the inning with her driving in Chloe Valdez and herself to make the game 6-0. Cailynn Parsons and Litzen reached base soon after to follow with Arrieta then coming up big for the team again with her second home run being a three-run shot.
Leading 9-0 now Christensen navigated a pair of singles in the fifth inning before forcing a groundout to herself to secure the shutout.
Seven of the team's eight hits came with extra bases in the contest with Colorado Mesa being led by Arrieta and Litzen who both finished with two hits. Arrieta totaled five RBIs in the win with Kubitschek adding two and Litzen having one.
The Mavs now have 40 home runs on the season which still stands as best in the conference and ties for third in the nation.
UP NEXT
Colorado Mesa returns home to Grand Junction this next week as they host CSU Pueblo in another 4-game conference series. Action is slated to start at noon on Saturday, March 29 with the game's theme being Make-a-Wish Day. Tickets can be purchased in person or online at cmumavericks.com/tickets.
