GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University Softball Team played a pair of nail-biting games this Saturday as they opened up their 4-game conference series with CSU Pueblo splitting the first double header at CMU Softball Field.
In the two games played on the day, both were decided by just one run with the Mavericks taking the first in an 11-inning affair by a score of 6-5 via walk off. They then followed up that performance by falling just short in game two as they were defeated by a score 3-2.
The game one victory was the Mavs first time playing in extra innings this season with them snapping CSU Pueblo's 10 game winning streak in the process. CSU Pueblo's win to follow then had the similar effect as it then snapped the Mavs' 17 game winning streak.
Colorado Mesa is now 23-9 (21-5 RMAC) following today's action with CSU Pueblo sitting at 20-13 (19-7 RMAC). Each team still sits in their same spots in the conference standings with the Mavs in third and the Thunderwolves to follow in fourth.
The series will continue tomorrow with the final two games coming in another doubleheader starting at 11 A.M. Streaming will occur on the RMAC Network with live stats also available to follow along with. Tickets can be purchased in person or online at cmumavericks.com/tickets.
Below is a short recap of each game:
GAME 1 (CMU 6, CSUP 5; 11 inn.):
Beginning the day with an extra innings thriller, the Mavericks played a staggering 11 innings in their win over the Thunderwolves as they ultimately secured the victory on a Myah Arrieta walk off single.
The game went a total of 64 outs in the contest with 15 half innings resulting in zeros. Past the seventh inning only one run was scored with both teams finishing with 11 hits apiece.
Besides going the distance of 11 innings, the storyline of the game was the intrepid pitching duel that took place with two of the league's top pitchers going at it in CMU's Jessalyn Gallegos and CSUP's McKenna James.
Both pitchers came into today with 10 wins each to tie for second in the conference with both also pitching the entirety of the game. Gallegos, who earned her 11th win, went all 11 innings of the game while throwing a total of 153 pitches. She allowed 11 hits and all five runs to the Thunderwolves, while striking out 15 for a new season high. She struck out at least one batter in eight of the 11 innings.
James countered Gallegos all game going 10.1 innings before the walkoff while allowing 11 hits as well with six runs (five earned), five walks and five strikeouts.
In the early stages of the game both teams played tightly with only three runs scored total through four innings.
The Thunderwolves jumped out to the lead first with a solo shot home run in the second inning to make it 1-0, but saw that lead become short lived as the Mavs then put up one run each in both the third and fourth innings.
Colorado Mesa got their first run in on an obstruction call thanks to a first and third steal with them then getting their second run on a solo home run from Ally Distler in the fourth.
The Mavs then tacked on a huge three spot in the fifth inning with Arrieta driving in a run on a double, scoring her own run on a wild pitch and then having Distler hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in another.
Leading 5-1, the Mavs looked to be in control of the game, but the Thunderwolves thought otherwise as they then scored four runs unanswered in the sixth and seventh innings.
CSUP used a double and two-run home run in the sixth to bring it within one run with a deep sacrifice fly in the seventh then making the score even.
Tied at five apiece, neither team was then able to score for the next three innings as both battled to bring runners into scoring position. The Thunderwolves challenged with a runner on second base in both the eighth and ninth innings but were ultimately shut down as they couldn't bring a run in. Colorado Mesa only managed one runner to second base before the 11th inning.
Finally finding their groove, the Mavs scored the winning run in the 11th inning as they loaded the bases with one out. In that inning Khloe Kubitschek was able to walk before being followed up by both Cailynn Parsons and Bella Aragon who each hit singles. Coming to the plate with bases loaded then was Arrieta who hit a low fly ball to shallow left center to win the game in walk off fashion and give the Mavs their first extra innings win of the season.
Arrieta, Aragon and Parsons each lead the team with two hits apiece with five others having collected one hit. Arrieta and Distler also managed two RBIs each.
GAME 2 (CMU 2, CSUP 3):
Attempting to follow up the grand performance in game one of the day, the Mavericks fell just short in their second contest with the Thunderwolves as they were narrowly defeated 3-2 in seven innings.
During the game the Thunderwolves never trailed past the second inning as they used a complete game performance from Mia Sanchez to propel themselves to the win. Sanchez finished with a line of seven innings pitched, five hits, two runs, three walks and three strikeouts.
Colorado Mesa starter, Sophia Tassinari matched Sanchez for much of the game as she only allowed three runs and three hits through five and two third innings but was ultimately given the loss as the Maverick batters were stifled by Sanchez.
Tassinari was relieved by Preslee Christensen in the sixth inning who struck out all four batters she faced in her one and one third innings of work.
All three of the Thunderwolf runs in the game came from first and third plays as they were able to successfully draw throws away from the plate and allow them to score. Those runs came in the second and sixth innings with two of them coming in sixth.
The Mavs only inning of offense came in the sixth as Khloe Kubitschek hit a two-run home run to bring the deficit within one.
Beyond the Kubitschek bomb, the Mavs only had four other hits total in the game
Brynn Escobar and Kubitschek each had two of those hits with the final fifth hit belonging to Makayla Westmoreland.
