LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University Softball Team used the power of a big swing from Khloe Kubitschek this afternoon to defeat the Roadrunners of MSU Denver as the redshirt freshman delivered an 11th inning walk off home run in the first round of the RMAC Softball Championship to win 5-4 at All Star Park.
Taking a total of 11 innings to get the win the Mavericks hit three home runs in their efforts with Kubitschek's being the biggest of the day as she finally ended the thriller as the leadoff batter in the bottom of the 11th.
The game lasted over two and a half hours to be the first extra innings game of the tournament with this being the Mavs' fourth time playing in extras this season and second time playing 11 innings. They are 3-1 now when playing past seven innings. In addition, Head Coach Mercedes Bohte earned her 200th career win in the victory with the Mavs having 30-plus wins every season since she took the helm. She is 200-61 since being hired as the Head Coach in 2021.
Beyond Kubitschek's heroics to win the game, the Mavs also relied heavily on the stellar pitching outing from Preslee Christensen who went six shutout innings in relief while holding the Roadrunners to just two hits. She earned her 11th win of the season with the decision.
Prior to the final four innings of competition the Mavs looked to be in control through the first five innings of the game with them leading 4-2 up to that point.
In the first inning they quickly jumped out to the lead as Myah Arrieta started the game off with a bang hitting a solo home run to go ahead 1-0.
The Roadrunners got that run back in the second to tie it up from a sequence of a walk, bunt and single.
The game stayed at 1-1 for the next nine outs with the change then coming in the top of the fourth inning when MSU Denver tacked on another run, this time via a home run.
Trailing now for the first time in the game, the Mavs made their biggest push of the day in the bottom of the fifth inning to follow as they scored three runs to push the game to 4-2 in their favor.
Starting off the scoring in that inning was once again Arrieta as the senior hit her second home run of the day to tie it up. Chloe Valdez was able to walk two batters later with both Ally Distler and Olivia Litzen then hitting RBI singles to score two more.
While being down, the Roadrunners did not give up after the big offensive inning with them responding in two runs of their own. Both runs came on the same play in that inning with MSU Denver's Aaliyah Arellano driving in the first on a single and then having another come around from a Maverick error. Christensen was brought on in relief at this time with her pitching until the conclusion of the game.
Tied now at five apiece, the game stayed all square for the next 33 outs with neither team able to break the stalemate.
Christensen only allowed one runner to reach second base in the ninth inning with the eighth, 10th and 11th all being clean frames.
The Mavs threatened to end the game early in contrast with runners reaching second base in the ninth inning and third base in the 10th inning, but fell short each time.
It was then in the decisive 11th inning that Kubitschek ended the game in one swing with a home run down the left field line.
Kubitschek finished 1-4 with the lone RBI while being supported by Arrieta and Distler who each went 3-5. Makayla Westmoreland added a 2-5 day while Litzen and Ava Stephens also had one hit apiece.
Jessalyn Gallegos started in the circle and went five innings of the game before being relieved by Christensen in the sixth. The redshirt freshman scattered seven hits in her outing while allowing four runs (three earned) and striking out four.
UP NEXT
With the win today the Mavs will now face off with #1 seed and host of the tournament, Colorado Christian, when the two meet each other at 11 A.M. tomorrow morning. The winner of the game will get an automatic bid into the championship game of the tournament with the loser playing again in the 4 P.M. game. Tickets can be purchased online at rmacsports.org/sports/2024/11/5/champ-tickets with streaming available for purchase at rmacnetwork.com/rmacsports.
