Cowgirls beat MSU Denver, UCCS to take 3 of 4 over the weekend

LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands softball team capped a successful weekend at home as the Cowgirls picked up a pair of wins Sunday – beating a pair of teams near the top of the RMAC in MSU Denver 8-2 and UC Colorado Springs 5-2 at Cowgirl Field.
 
NMHU (4-9 overall, 4-5 RMAC) took three of four games during the weekend in sweeping a pair of games from the Mountain Lions (12-11, 8-3) and splitting with MSU Denver (11-11, 7-3).
 
It was strong pitching that led the Cowgirls on Sunday, starting in game one as Belinda Gonzalez tossed a complete game against the Roadrunners – giving up two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and no walks to move to 3-3 on the season.
 
The Cowgirls took the lead for good in the third inning as a Camrynn Ziegler lead-off single and stolen base and a Victoria Mata single led to a Desiree Madrid RBI single to make it 1-0. After an NMHU runner was picked off by the MSU Denver catcher, Leah Osborn hit an RBI single, Olivia Muniz ripped an RBI double and Ashley Forshee hit a three-run homer to give the Cowgirls a 6-0 lead.
 
The Cowgirls added a run in the fourth before a pair of runs in the fifth by the Roadrunners made it 7-2. Forshee got a run back for NMHU in the fifth as she blasted her second homer of the game and the third homer of the series to make the final 8-2.
 
Forshee finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and two homers while Madrid went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Ziegler was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs.
 
In game two against UCCS, it was Brianna Velasquez in the circle that led the Cowgirls as she went 6.1 innings (she was relieved in the sixth, but re-entered with two outs in the inning after the Roadrunners scored two runs) and didn't give up a run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks to pick up her first win of the season.
 
The Cowgirls took the lead in the second when an errant throw home allowed Olivia Muniz to score to make it 1-0. Angelina Guthro followed with a single to left center to make it 2-0. NMHU scored one in the fourth on a wild pitch, two more in the fifth on a double steal and an Osborn RBI single before holding on to the 5-2 victory.
 
While no Cowgirl had multiple hits, seven of the nine in the lineup picked up a hit – including Nicole Correia hitting a double. NMHU had three stolen bases with Ziegler picking up two and the Mata adding another.
 
The Cowgirls return to action noon Saturday as they host a doubleheader against CSU-Pueblo at Cowgirl Field.