IRVINE, CA- Colorado Christian returned to Irvine on Thursday, this time to the campus of Concordia University Irvine for a neutral site doubleheader with Northwest Nazarene University. CCU came away with a pair of wins, claiming victory 6-3 in game one, and winning in walk-off fashion in the eighth inning of game two 2-1. 

GAME ONE
The Cougars were the designated visiting team in the first contest, but they made themselves feel right at home in the top of the first with an early two-run single from Leah Garcia. Kayla Middleton then launched a ball over the fence for a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. The Nighthawks responded though, blasting a three-run shot to tie things in the fifth. The score stood knotted at three heading to the final inning, and then the Cougars went to work. Taylor Olsen started the rally with a leadoff hit that saw her get all the way to third with some savvy baserunning. Garcia promptly picked up another RBI with a sacrifice fly, and two batters later Samaria Roope doubled to score Kenzie Middleton and make it 5-3. Pinch running at second, Skyler Dietz provided another insurance run off an error from the shortstop. It was just a matter of shutting down NNU in the bottom of the seventh, and Kali Crandall did just that as CCU claimed the win 6-3.

Alexis Hamilton started and pitched five full innings with only two hits allowed and three strikeouts. Leah Garcia powered the offense with three RBI on a single and sac fly. 

GAME TWO
The second contest of the day featured much less runs and a pitching duel throughout. Northwest Nazarene took an early lead on Crandall with a double in the first, but that would be the last run allowed by CCU in the game. Abrie Castillo entered in the third and was tremendous for her team. She pitched four shutout innings on just one hit and three strikeouts to keep her team down just a run. That proved very important in the sixth, when Camryn Quilling came in to pinch run at first base. Quilling stole second, and the throw from the catcher leaked into the outfield and all the way to the back wall as Quilling jumped up and raced home to tie the game at 1-1. Roope entered in the seventh, and pitched two perfect innings to keep the Nighthawks at bay. In the bottom of the eighth, Olsen slapped a ball towards shortstop and first base was unable to come up with the ball, allowing Kenzie Middleton to race around third and score the winning run in walk-off fashion on the error. 

In the Cougars 2-1 win, the combo of Crandall, Castillo and Roope held Northwest Nazarene to three hits total and just one run in the first inning. The offense used intelligent baserunning to take advantage of their opponents' errors to come away with two runs, which was enough to claim their eighth straight victory.

Colorado Christian will close their California road trip with one more doubleheader on February 11 at 12 and 2 p.m. MST at #19 Concordia University Irvine.