Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 PUEBLO, Colo. – The Cowgirls took the lead with a three-spot in the bottom of the third in game one and never trailed the rest of the day as the New Mexico Highlands softball team (7-19, 3-14 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) knocked off Fort Lewis 5-3 (16-14, 12-8 RMAC) in game one before claiming a 2-0 win over host CSU-Pueblo (12-13, 9-5 RMAC) Sunday afternoon in the RMAC pod in Pueblo, Colo.
"We came out and played well defensively," head coach
Karin Gadberry said. "It was good to see us get some timely hitting from our lineup."
The Cowgirls went 5-for-8 on the day with two outs and a runner in scoring position.
The second game was a pitching gem for junior
Jacquelyn Wood (4-7), who allowed a base runner to third only once in the game. She gave up seven hits on three walks with a pair of strikeouts.
Both the ThunderWolves and Cowgirls were scoreless through the first three innings of game two before two-out lightning put the visitors up for good – ironically scored by the winning pitcher of the contest. Wood singled to lead off the frame. After two outs were recorded, junior
Jessica Brink legged out an infield single. Sophomore
Dekota Monarrez plated the first run of the game on a double.
The Cowgirls added insurance in the sixth when Wood, again, led off the inning with a single. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a groundout. Brink came up with the two-out single to give the Cowgirls some cushion.
The Cowgirls only managed six hits, but made the most of their base knocks as both Brink and Wood went 2-for-3. Wood scored both Highlands' runs on the day.
The only scoring threat for CSU-Pueblo came in the bottom of the fifth when with one out, a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt got both runners into scoring position. However, Wood got Dora Hernandez to pop up as the Cowgirls held the ThunderWolves scoreless.
CSU-Pueblo put a pair on with two down in the seventh with a pair of singles, but Wood recovered from being down 3-0 to run the count full and force a fly out to end the day in a Cowgirls sweep.
Madison Wolfe (6-3) took the complete game loss for CSU-Pueblo, allowing six hits and two runs in seven innings of work.
Game two saw the Cowgirls break out to a 5-1 lead and hold on for the 5-3 win. The Skyhawks struck first with a single tally in the third, but the Cowgirls put up a trio of runs in the bottom of the frame. Junior
Amber Harding led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on an error. She went to third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on redshirt freshman
Annie Reynolds' single.
Junior
Tori Gil followed with an infield single before both runners moved into scoring position on a groundout. Brink provided the two-out magic, clearing the bases on a single down the right field line.
Brink went 2-for-3 with two RBI's while Reynolds contributed a hit in four at-bats with two runs scored and an RBI. Brink also took the circle for the Cowgirls, allowing 10 hits and three runs while striking out three to improve to 3-9 on the year.
An unearned run in the fifth and sixth proved to be the winning runs. In the fifth, Reynolds reached on a two-base error by the pitcher. After she was sacrificed to third, Monarrez singled to center field to put the Cowgirls up 4-1. Cordero reached on an error to lead off the sixth before going to second on a one-out groundout. Singles from Harding and Wood scored Cordero to put Highlands up four.
Fort Lewis brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh, but the Cowgirls held for the win. Kaitlyn Bending led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on a Missy Fundora's infield single. Adrianna Rosthenthausler hit an RBI double to right field to score one and bring the tying run to the plate. The Skyhawks added a sacrifice fly, but Brink only needed three more pitches to retire the side. She got a 0-1 groundout and an infield popup on the very next pitch.
Kiley Raica took the loss to fall to 5-6 in the circle for Fort Lewis, allowing five hits and three runs in three innings pitched.
The Cowgirls take to the road for the second-straight weekend when they travel to Spearfish, S.D., to take on Black Hills State in a four game series Saturday and Sunday (March 29-30).
