Game 1:
 
The CCU softball team played their pseudo-home opener double-header against the Cowgirls of New Mexico Highlands University in La Junta, CO on Saturday, February 24, after weather forced the game to be moved from Lakewood. The Cougars would take both games of the double-header by scored of 16-2 and 8-5 to improve to 9-1 on the season and 2-0 in RMAC play.
 
The first game was seemingly decided early as the Cougars managed to add to their lead in every inning until the game was called early in the fifth inning on account of the score. The Cougars managed 16 runs on 14 hits, five walks, and another six free bases from batters who were hit by a pitch.
 
Junior Kenzie Mattey tossed another gem for coach Shannon Hays in game one, adding another complete game to her season, while striking out five Cowgirls, walking just one, and allowing only two earned runs. Mattey's early stats are most impressive, with just six starts on the season so far she has a 1.43 ERA, only seven earned runs, 30 strikeouts, and is allowing opponents a dismal .187 batting average, all stats the Mattey ranks in the top tier of the RMAC in.
 
Offensively, the Cougars scored four runs in the first three innings. The 4^th inning though was a clinic on hitting and baserunner, when CCU hit through their batting order one-and-a-half times scoring 12 runs on 9 hits to build their lead to 15 runs.
 
There were four Cougars with multi-hits in the game, led by junior Kendall Yasui, who had her fourth multi-hit game of the season, and her first four hit game today, going 4-4 with 3 runs, 2 RBI's, and stolen base. First baseman Shelby Fusich also had a stellar game at the plate, hitting 2-2 with 2 runs, 4 RBI's, and a walk. Hanna Farmer and Brie Dunkel also had 2 hits each in the game and right fielder Alyssa Hanks got her one hit with the bases loaded, smacking a double down the left field line, driving in all three baserunners.
 
Game 2:
 
The second game of the set was noticeably closer, as the Cougars had to fend off a rally attempt by NMHU late in the game and held onto their lead to win 8-5.
 
Pitching again was strong for CCU, this time three CCU pitchers combined to allow just 3 earned runs, strikeout 9, and not walk a single Cowgirl in seven innings. Freshman Jennifer Romero got the start for CCU, throwing five solid innings for the Cougs, allowing five hits, three run, just two of which were earned, and earning her third win of the season. Sarah Probasco came in as relief in the 6^th inning and allowed one run on four hits with two strikeouts, until she was relieved in the bottom of the 7^th before she could record an out, and replaced with game one winner Kenzie Mattey, who finished off the Cowgirls by allowing one hit, no runs, and two strikeouts, including the final out of the game.
 
Colorado Christian built up another sizeable lead in the second game of the day, jumping to a 7-1 lead by the bottom of the fourth. As was the case in game one, four Cougars had multi-hit games, including Fusich and Hanks again, with Stephanie Day and Charlotte Romero joining in on the hit party. Romero, Fusich, and Day all scored a pair of runs, and the latter two chipped in three and two RBI's each as well.
 
NMHU started a respectable comeback in the top of the fifth and sixth innings, scoring two runs in each frame to cu the score to 7-5 CCU, but Kendall Yasui's advantageous baserunning in the bottom of the 6^th built the Cougar lead back up to three at 8-5, and the game was all but over.
 
CCU and NMHU will finish off their season series with another pair of games on Sunday, Feb. 25^th, with first pitch scheduled for 11:00 am in La Junta, CO.