Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
LAKEWOOD, Colo. - The New Mexico Highlands softball team (5-13, 1-8 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) dropped a pair of softball games Monday afternoon, falling to host Colorado Christian (9-10, 5-3 RMAC) 10-4 in the first game before falling to Metro State (10-4, 6-3) 10-2 in game two.
The Cowgirls - the visiting team in both games - struck in the top of the first in both games but could not hold the lead. Against Colorado Christian in the first with two outs and one runner on, walks to freshman
Katelyn Bates and sophomore
Amber Cordero loaded the bases. Junior
Tori Gil drove in sophomore
Dekota Monarrez on an error.
The Cougars flipped the score with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first.
Highlands tied it up with another unearned run in the top of the third. With the bases loaded and two outs, senior
Dominique Padilla grounded to second, but reached on an error as the tying run scored.
Down 7-2 in the top of the sixth, Monarrez hit her RMAC-leading ninth home run of the season to bring the Cowgirls within four. However, the Cougars answered with three of their own in the bottom of the sixth and went on to win the game by four.
Junior pitcher
Jacquelyn Wood, who fell to 3-4 on the mound by giving up 10 runs (eight earned) on 12 hits, led the Cowgirls with three hits in five at-bats and a run scored. Monarrez added two hits, two runs scored and two RBI's in five at-bats.
Four different Cougars had two hits on the day, led by Sarah Rasmussen with three RBI's and two runs scored. In the bottom of the sixth, she hit her fifth home run of the year with a runner on base. Mariah Bledsoe evened her record at 5-5, throwing a complete game and giving up 14 hits and four runs (two earned) with six strikeouts.
Game two against Metro State started fast for the Cowgirls when redshirt freshman
Annie Reynolds, Wood and Cordero singled to lead off the game. Two RBI groundouts put Highlands up 2-0.
Metro State cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first, but blew the game open with five in the bottom of the second. A ground ball for the second out of the inning tied the game, but Metro State went to work. Three-straight singles scored a pair of runs before Kaylynn Harmon homered to left to put Metro State up 6-2.
Metro State won 10-2 in five innings.
Six different Cowgirls had one hit for the game. Junior starting pitcher
Jessica Brink, who allowed 16 hits and 10 runs (nine earned) over 4.2 innings of work, had an RBI.
Kelsey Tillery led Metro State from the plate with four hits in as many at-bats with three RBI's and two runs scored. Cassidy Smith allowed two runs on six hits over five innings for the win, improving to 5-0.
The Cowgirls return to action Saturday (March 15) for a four game series at home against Colorado Mesa.
