COLORADO SPRINGS – While the Cougars start to RMAC games didn't begin as they wanted, there are still 32 games in conference play.

UCCS ended the four-game series with a 10-7 win on Sunday afternoon to sweep the series.

HOW IT HAPPENED: A closely played game through the first five-and-a-half innings, the home team used late scoring to pull away for the win.

UCCS scored a pair of runs to start the game in the first inning. A Heath Hays RBI single in the third inning scored Eli Ludwig as the Cougars cut their deficit in half. The Mountains Lions pushed their lead back to two runs in the fourth frame when Luis Samorano hit an RBI double to left centerfield that scored Ryan Schmidt. The damage could have been worse on the base knock but a solid relay saw Evan Richards get tagged out at home.

In the fifth frame the Cougars chipped away again when Sam Gallegos scored on a throwing error as Colorado Christian found themselves down just a run (3-2). However, in their half of the inning UCCS scored a pair of runs when Jake Anderson's one-out double scored two for the home team.

An undaunted Cougars squad put together a threat in the sixth stanza as Zayne Willems and Gallegos each hit RBI base knocks to put their team within 5-4. Unfortunately that was a close as they would get. The Mountains Lions increased their lead moments later as they scored three runs on five hits in their portion of the sixth inning.

In the seventh and eighth innings respectively, the Mountain Lions scored a single run to push their lead to 10-4 as Colorado Christian had just three outs left to overcome their deficit. The Cougars put a three spot on the scoreboard in their final chance as Tommy Orr, Ludwig and Matt Kimura all crossed the plate. However, Colorado Christian could not get the typing run to the plate before their final out.

COUGAR LEADERS: Ludwig earned his second start of the season and promptly recorded three hits in his three at-bats. He reached base in all four of his plate appearances and crossed the plate twice.

Willems and Gallegos each had a two-hit games with Willems tallying a pair of RBI.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Eight of the Mountain Lions 17 hits went for extra bases
• A trio of UCCS pitchers accumulated 12 strikeouts
• Matt McDermott fell a homerun short of the cycle

UP NEXT: The Cougars travel to Adams State for their second RMAC series of the season. The four-game set begins Friday in Alamosa.