GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University softball team played to a pair of one-run victories this afternoon as they won the first two games of their final home conference series against Black Hills State University at CMU Softball Field.
With the two wins the Mavericks, clinched a spot into this year's conference tournament for the 14th time in a row with the last time they didn't reach it being in 2012.
The Mavs can finish anywhere from third to sixth now depending on how the weekend ends.
In both wins today, Colorado Mesa rallied back from an early deficit to take both victories with the scores being 2-1 and 10-9.
In addition, the Mavs set a new single-season record in double plays today with them now having 36 this spring through 49 games. They currently lead all of DII with that mark while averaging over 1 per game.
Colorado Mesa sits at 26-24 (25-17 RMAC) with two games remaining in the regular season while Black Hills State moves to 24-29 (21-21 RMAC).
Below is a short recap of each game:
GAME 1 (CMU 2, BHSU 1):
The Mavs outlasted the Yellow Jackets in a low scoring pitcher duel to start the day as they used just enough offense late to take the victory.
Prior to the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, the score was just 1-1 through five and a half innings with pitching being dominant.
Both Sophia Tassinari and the Yellow Jackets' Kaitlyn Geschwill pitched complete game efforts to back the efforts in the circle with Tassinari coming out on top.
Tassinari would finish with just five hits allowed and one run and walk on four strikeouts while improving her record to 13-13. This was also her 14th complete game of the season.
Overall, there were 10 scoreless frames between the two pitchers with only 13 batters faced over the minimum.
The Mavs outhit the 'Jackets 9-5 in the game with all nine of those hits coming in the final four innings.
In the third inning, Black Hills got on the board first to lead with them using a pair of singles to score their only run of the game.
The Mavs quickly responded in the fourth however as they used a double by Allison Lindsay to spark the offense with Makayla Westmoreland then driving in the game-tying run on a single to left field.
The fifth inning was another scoreless six outs but it was then in the sixth inning that the Mavs gained their lead.
After a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to scoring position, pinch hitter Ava Stephens came up big for the team with her lacing a single to right field to drive in the go-ahead run.
The Mavs threatened to extend on the lead with another hit to follow but were retired on the next two batters.
Using the new-found lead to help close things out, Tassinari ended the game in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Of the CMU nine hits, April Neill had two of them to lead the team with seven others having one apiece.
Colorado Mesa would also have two double plays in this game.
GAME 2 (CMU 10, BHSU 9):
Winning in a one-run game but a little differently this time, the Mavs closed out their day by winning against the Yellow Jackets again after they rallied back to take the lead and hold out against a late offensive push.
Seven different frames featured scoring in the game with five of them being crooked numbers.
In addition, there were a combined 28 hits with nine of them being for extra bases. Colorado Mesa had six of those, including two home runs.
In the early goings, Black Hills lead through five innings of the game with them using a three-spot in both the first and third innings to bolster their lead.
The Mavs scored just one run through the first three innings instead with their lone run coming in the bottom of the first on an RBI double from Makayla Westmoreland.
Despite Colorado Mesa trailing 6-1, they then made their push back to take over the game with them scoring eight runs through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
They put up three of those runs in the fourth on two-run single from Khloe Kubitschek with Cailynn Parsons adding the other run on a single to left field.
A lone run was managed in the fifth by Kate Hella to follow with her singling as well to center field.
The Mavs then put up a five-spot in the sixth inning to tie the game and take the lead for good with them collecting five more hits and taking advantage of a 'Jacket error.
Parsons and Westmoreland homered to score four of those runs with Kamdyn Hagerty adding the final one on a pinch-hit double.
The Mavs led by four runs now but had to work around a little trouble in the top of the seventh as Black Hills scored three runs in a comeback attempt.
Luckily CMU pitching would force a groundout to end the game and narrowly secure the win.
Five different players for Colorado Mesa had multi-hit performances with both Parsons and Westmoreland leading that bunch at three hits each.
Sophia Tassinari would earn the win in the circle in this game as well with her going 4.1 innings in relief and allowing no earned runs.
UP NEXT:
The Mavs and YellowJackets will continue the series tomorrow when they take part in another double header starting at 11 a.m. Tomorrow's games will also be the Mavs' Senior Day with the team's three seniors being honored between the two games. Tickets can be purchased online at cmumavericks.com/tickets
