Colorado Christian Softball lost two-straight games in the 2015 RMAC Tournament Thursday, falling 4-3 to Regis and 3-2 to Colorado Mesa to draw the curtain on their 2015 campaign.
 
In both of the day's games, the sixth-seeded Cougars took early leads on their better-seeded opponents. Unfortunately, CCU's batters struggled to maintain early momentum. The blue and gold ended both contests in the double-elimination tournament with just four total hits – finishing the day with fewer combined than either opponent tallied in a single game. It was a frustrating ending for Christian's seniors, whose careers ended with the day's final strikeout.
 
Against Regis in the opener, a profitable second inning had the Cougars rolling. Thanks to Ranger miscues and a Dana Rex double to center field, Colorado Christian took a 2-0 lead. Rex found home two batters later, when a Kristina Billante single plated the senior from Long Beach, CA. CCU's 3-0 lead stood until the next inning, when Regis scored a pair of runs off two Christian errors.
 
Still, the Cougars owned the advantage through most the post-season game. Using a stingy defensive effort to silence the Rangers, Christian clung to their 3-2 lead even as they struggled to get on base.
 
Unfortunately, RU mustered some tournament magic late in the sixth inning. With the tying runner waiting and the winning run at-bat, the Rangers got a two-RBI homer to take the lead. It was a blow the Cougars would never recover from.
 
Freshman Tana Feiner got the loss in game one, falling to 13-12 in her rookie season after allowing nine RU hits in 5.2 innings of work. Senior Mariah Bledsoe finished the game for Feiner.
 
Still alive but with a mountain of work ahead of them, the Cougars walked off the field after the loss with a resolve to work their way back into the tournament. A date with Colorado Mesa awaited them, but though the opponent would change, the game's fate would be disappointingly similar.
 
Just as they had in the morning game, CCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the second-seeded Mavericks. A bases-loaded single from Letty Valenzuela earned Christian run number one, and Stephanie Tatham's ground-out to second on the next at-bat plated the Cougars their second score. Just as it had against Regis, however, the Colorado Christian offense would stall after their early lead – leaving Mesa unthreatened the rest of the way.
 
Though Bledsoe tossed a clutch game from the circle, the Mavs jumped on critical Christian errors to rally back and then finally sieze control of the game in the fifth inning. One run in that frame gave Colorado Mesa their first advantage and eventually the win.
 
Two losses in the tournament meant an end to the season for CCU, and the closing of a chapter for the Cougars' group of seniors. Among them, Bledsoe, who retired her career with a two K effort that included just two earned runs. The loss moved Bledsoe to 9-10 on the year, and saddled Colorado Christian with a 23-29 overall mark.