DENVER, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University softball team split the final day doubleheader against Regis University this afternoon as they claimed their first series win of the season at the Regis Softball Field.
Winning the series 3-1, the Mavericks were taken down by a score of 4-1 in their first game of the day before rallying back in the second to claim a 4-3 victory in extra innings.
The Mavs have now won two of the last three series against the Rangers.
Colorado Mesa moves to 4-8 overall now while sitting at 3-1 in the RMAC. The Rangers fall to 2-8 (1-3 RMAC).
Below is a short recap of each game.
GAME 1 (REGIS 4, CMU 1):
Dropping their first game of the series, the Mavs fell in game one of the day as they were bested in a low scoring affair.
The Rangers scored two runs early in the first inning to bolster their lead with them then adding a run apiece in the third and fifth innings as they never trailed.
The Mavs were guilty of three errors to allow those first three runs to score unearned.
Olivia Litzen managed the lone run for Colorado Mesa in the fifth inning on an RBI single but only four more runners were able to reach base the rest of the game.
Sophia Tassinari pitched her second complete game of the weekend but was registered with the loss. She finished with a stat line of six innings pitched, six hits, four runs (one earned) and two strikeouts.
Only six hits were totaled by the Mavs with Olivia Litzen leading the way going 2-2.
GAME 2 (CMU 4, REGIS 3; 8 innings):
Bouncing back in an emphatic way to secure the series win, the Mavs rallied to score three runs in the final two innings of the game with them using clutch home runs to power the offense.
Colorado Mesa jumped on the board first in the fourth inning with Makayla Westmoreland driving in a run on an RBI single to centerfield to give them the 1-0 lead.
The Rangers responded two innings later with three runs in the bottom of the sixth though as they were able to take advantage of a CMU error and collect three hits.
The Rangers needed just three outs to win the game in the top of the seventh inning with them coming down to just one out away from the decision before Brynn Escobar delivered a game-changing two-run home run to tie things up.
Regis looked to walk things off in the bottom of the seventh inning but clutch pitching prevented the opportunity.
Entering extra innings for the first time this season, the Mavs were able to jump on the board in just one batter in the eighth, as Khloe Kubitschek delivered an inside the park home run to give CMU the lead for the second time of the day.
Kubitschek's home run was hit into the right field corner with her going all the way around the bases after the Ranger's right fielder missed the ball on a diving attempt.
The Mavs were able to get another runner into scoring position to follow but the Rangers narrowly got out of the inning on groundout.
Sophia Tassinari closed the game while facing just four batters in the bottom of the frame as she earned the win in relief.
Tassinari followed up the strong outing of Marisa Nehm in the circle who went the first 5.2 innings of the game and allowed just five hits and three runs.
Makayla Westmoreland had two of the team's seven hits to lead the squad while her, Escobar and Kubitschek each combined for the team's four RBIs.
UP NEXT:
Colorado Mesa will return to Grand Junction this next week as they host their home opener now when they welcome MSU Denver on Feb. 28 and Mar.1. Both days will feature doubleheaders with action on Saturday set for a 12 p.m. start
