COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Cowgirls were run-ruled twice on Monday afternoon (March 9) as New Mexico Highlands (1-13, 0-8 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) lost a pair to UC Colorado Springs (7-8, 5-5 RMAC) 8-0 in game one and 14-6 in game two.
The Cowgirls took a 4-1 lead after the top of the third, thanks to a home run by sophomore
Gabby Hansell. With one out, junior
Ashton Borunda walked, stole second and scored on junior
Jaquelyn Solis' two-out single.
Down 8-4 entering the fifth, the Cowgirls cut the deficit in half. Hansell walked and junior
Dekota Monarrez singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Borunda doubled to drive in a pair of runs.
Borunda led the Cowgirls in the game, going 2-for-2 with two RBI's and a run scored. Hansell added a home run in two at-bats with two runs scored and two RBI's. Freshman
Michelle Brincefield fell to 1-2 in the circle, allowing 10 hits and eight runs in four innings of work.
UC Colorado Springs ended the game with six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Makenna Smith led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on an infield single. Whitney Weber singled to left field to score the first run of the innings. Emily Jennings hit a bases clearing double. After a walk, Kylie Barnard ended the game with a three-run home run.
Jennings led the Mountain Lions, finishing a triple short of the cycle in four at-bats with three RBI's and two runs scored. Barnard went 2-for-4 with five RBI's and two runs scored. Korey Kulpins improved to 3-4 in the circle, allowing five hits and four runs in three innings of work. Stephanie Chitkowski got her first save of the season, allowing one hit and no runs.
In the first game, Borunda and Hansell had a hit, but Jennings hit a two-run home run in the first and UC Colorado Springs scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth to win 8-0.
Dani Fonseca led the Mountain Lions with three hits in as many at-bats, including a three-run home run, with three RBI's and a run scored.
Stephanie Chitkowski improved to 3-2 with the complete game win. Senior
Jacquelyn Wood took the loss, allowing 10 runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings pitched.
The Cowgirls return to action Tuesday (March 10) at 1 p.m. against Oklahoma Panhandle State in Goodwell, Oklahoma, at 1 p.m.
