With an early start to day two of the RMAC tournament, the Cougars were unable to come away with a win and were eliminated after a pair of close losses.
GAME 1 VS DSU: L 1-3
With an 8:30am start against the Trailblazers of Dixie State, Colorado Christian was up and at it earlier than normal. The first inning saw the teams getting runners in scoring position, but unable to score. The teams also imitated each other in the next inning as they both went three up three down in the second. But Dixie broke the streak with a 3 RBI homerun in the top of the third for a big inning to put them ahead.
The Cougars got their one and only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth after Carly Perry started it off with a single. She then advanced on a ground out, then advanced again after a single from Hanna Farmer. Kendall Yasui then brought her home with a single to make the score 3-1 in the favor of the Trailblazers.
Jennifer Romero took the loss on the mound after pitching the entire game and striking out 6.
GAME 2 VS: L 4-5
Taking on MSU Denver and playing as the visiting team for game two of the day, Colorado Christian made their final game an exciting one. The Cougars found themselves still not on the board going into the fifth inning – but the Roadrunners had notched 4 runs. But landing a single run in the fifth helped get them going after Carly Perry doubled, advanced to third on a fly out, and made it home after a single from Piper Lujan.
The Cougars were able to hold the Roadrunners for the next couple innings, but was still down going into the final inning. MSU Denver had the advantage with a 3 run cushion with a score of 4-1. With two outs on the board and just one away from closing out the season, the team rallied despite the pressure. Hanna Farmer responded and had a full count but landed a single up the middle, then stole second in her normal fashion. She was followed by Kendall Yasui who singled off of a bunt to advance Farmer to third. Stephanie Day then hit a double off of the first pitch she saw to bring the runners home and shorten the deficit to just 1 run. Stepping up for her final at bat and making it count was Charlotte Romero – hitting a single to right field to bring home Day and tie up the game. Day barely squeezed her way home after going around the catcher and having to double back to touch home plate, making the final run of the season an exciting one.
The Roadrunners landed two doubles in the bottom of the inning to take the win and knock out the Cougars, making the final score 5-4.
Jennifer Romero pitched the second half of the game to give her the loss – with 6 strikeouts on the game and an overall record of 14-7 on the season.
The sad ending to the Cougars 2019 season was one that also meant the final games for seniors Shelby Fusich, Kendall Yasui, Kenzie Mattey, Hanna Farmer, and Charlotte Romero. Senior Carly Perry is planning on staying for a fifth year. The 2019 class is one that was a part of the best season in Colorado Christian softball history after their trip to the NCAA Regionals in 2018, and a class that has their names written all over the record books.
The Cougars finished with an overall record of 36-16 and a strong season to hang their hat on. Although the team is losing five important pieces of the team, they look forward to building off of the legacy they left behind.
