GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University softball team continued to build on their strong start to conference play this afternoon as they took down the MSU Denver Roadrunners twice in the first of a 4-game series at CMU Softball Field.
The Mavericks won by scores of 6-2 and 8-6 in the close fought day with them coming from behind to secure the victory in each of the contests.
With the wins, the Mavericks improve to 6-8 (5-1 RMAC) while winning their home opener for the 10th season in a row. MSU Denver falls to 9-5 (4-2 RMAC) while seeing their eight-game winning streak being snapped.
Below is a short recap of each game:
GAME 1 (CMU 6, MSUD 2):
Riding behind a strong performance in the circle by Sophia Tassinari, the Mavs claimed the game one victory to start their weekend with them using key hitting in the final four innings to break away.
MSU Denver scored their only runs of the game in the top of the second inning with them collecting three hits and taking advantage of a pair of CMU errors.
They led 2-0 at that point before the Mavs scored six unanswered runs the rest of the way.
Kamdyn Hagerty scored the first of those six runs with her hitting a solo-home run in the bottom of the second inning for her first long ball of the season.
CMU then collected three more runs in the fourth inning while totaling three hits and being helped by an MSU Denver throwing error.
TK Landes drove in the first run of the inning on an RBI single to right field with Ava Stephens driving in the next on another single. During Stephen's single Brynn Escobar was also able to make it home after the Roadrunners threw the ball away trying to make the play at home.
Hagerty added another run in the fifth on an RBI double before Landes capped off the Mavs' scoring efforts with a home run herself in the sixth.
The Mavs recorded 11 hits of offense in the game while seven different players recorded at least on apiece. Hagerty led the team going 3-3 in the game while Stephens and Landes both added 2-3 performances.
In addition, they also went 5-11 on two-out hitting with this being their second-highest hit total in a game this season.
Sophia Tassinari went the distance pitching her third complete game in the win, allowing just four hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out one. She faced just eight batters over the minimum.
The game took only one hour and 37 minutes to complete with eight different frames featuring zeros.
GAME 2 (CMU 8, MSUD 6):
Riding a similar theme to game one, the Mavs came back from a 2-0 deficit in the second game of the day as well while featuring two innings with crooked numbers.
The Roadrunners led early as they scored once in the first inning and once in the third with them driving in the runs thanks to singles following walks.
The Mavs then took the lead over in the fourth inning with Molli Magaña launching a ball over the right field fence for a three-run go ahead home run.
MSUD was able to respond with a run in the top of the fifth to even the score again but a four-spot in the bottom of the frame changed the momentum and put CMU ahead once more.
After getting the bases loaded on free passes from Roadrunner pitching, Magaña was able to work a walk for the first run of the inning with Allison Lindsay then lacing a double to right center for two more runs.
Makayla Westmoreland would add another run to follow on a single to the left side of the infield.
Colorado Mesa led 7-3 at that point but still had to fight off some resilience from the Roadrunners as they scored three runs in the top of the sixth.
The Mavs narrowly led 7-6 but were able to get an insurance run in the bottom of the inning thanks to Brynn Escobar as she drove in TK Landes who opened the inning with a triple.
The Roadrunners threatened with two batters reaching base in the seventh to make things interesting before ending the game on a fielder's choice.
As an offense, the Mavs totaled seven hits with 11 players making a plate appearance. Magaña finished with four RBIs herself to lead the team.
Marisa Nehm earned the win in the circle while pitching 2.2 innings of relief after piecing together Kamdyn Hagerty who went the first 2.2 innings in her start. Nehm gave way to Sophia Tassinari to finish the game who went the final 1.2 innings for her first save of the season.
UP NEXT:
The Mavs and Roadrunners will finish the series tomorrow when they take part in another double header starting at 11 a.m.
