Cowgirls drop two games to CSU Pueblo

Las Vegas, NM --- The New Mexico Highlands softball dropped two RMAC contests on Monday afternoon to CSU Pueblo at the HU Softball Field.
 
After the ThunderWolves went for five runs in the top of the first inning, the Cowgirls responded with two of their own after Megan Gutieriez (Fr; Whitier, CA) scored Brooklynn DeLozier (Sr; Longmont, CO) from second base with a double of her own down the right field line. Taylor Fish stepped up to tally her only RBI on the game and scored Gutierrez with another hit to the opposite side of the field.
 
Both teams were held scoreless in the second inning before CSU Pueblo scored two runs in the top of the third inning to take a 7-2 lead. DeLozier and Gutierrez would link up again with back-to-back hits for the Cowgirls in the bottom half to score the final run of the game.
 
CSU Pueblo scored eight unanswered runs in the final four innings of play to take game three 15-3.
 
The Cowgirls finished with 7 hits and three errors on the day behind the two hits apiece from DeLozier and Gutierrez while freshman Savannah Pineda-Chavez pitched a complete game in the circle and receiving her first strikeout of the year.
 
The Cowgirls found themselves ahead of the second game of the double-header for the second straight day as they were able to manufacture three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The rally started with a double from lead-off Camrynn Ziegler (Jr; El Paso, TX), followed by a double from DeLozier to score Ziegler from second. Carlee Gonzalez gave the Cowgirls the lead with a home run over the left field fence, her ninth on the season.
 
The Pack quickly tied the game in the top of the second inning and eventually took the lead in the top of the fourth inning by scoring two runs behind four hits and would extend their lead in the top of the sixth with two more runs to take a 7-3 advantage.
 
The Cowgirls never gave up as a walk for Taylor Fish (Fr; Wildomar, CA) and two singles from Samantha Gamboa (Fr: Albuquerque, NM) and Brooke De La Garza started a three run rally for the Cowgirls. Paige Varni (Fr; Clovis, CA) scored Chavez from third after she pinch ran for Fish and Ziegler single down the right field line scored the second run for the Cowgirls before DeLozier smacked another ball to left center to cut the ThunderWolves lead to 7-6 going in to the last inning.
 
The ThunderWolves scored two runs in the top half of the seventh and would hold the Cowgirls to one run in the bottom half to go on and complete the four-game sweep against the Cowgirls with a 9-7 win.
 
Ziegler, DeLozier, Gonzalez, and Gamboa each registered two hits for the Cowgirls and Varni finished the game with 2 RBI. Nathalie Blattmann pitched a complete game after giving up nine runs off thirteen hits and four strikeouts and now moves to 3-14 on the season.
 
The Cowgirls will be back in action next weekend for their final home series with a double-header scheduled for 12 pm on Saturday against UCCS.
 
GO COWGIRLS!!