LAKEWOOD, CO- A festive mood filled a packed All Star Park on Saturday as the Cougars closed the regular season and celebrated nine incredible seniors that have meant a lot to the program. Family and friends came from all over the United States to be there, and they were treated to a pair of wins from the CCU as they closed RMAC play 42-2 heading into the tournament next week.
GAME ONE
The first contest of the day featured a pitching duel between Kali Crandall and Fort Lewis' Amiee Shanks. Both pitchers were excellent throughout, and heading to the sixth inning the score was gridlocked at 0-0. That was when Savannah Tourville decided to change that, blasting a two-run homer over the left center field fence to give her team the lead. An unfortunate pair of errors saw the Skyhawks storm back in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead, but the Cougars never wavered. Senior Samaria Roope came in to pinch hit in the seventh, and she came through in the clutch with an RBI double down the left field line to tie it up at 3-3. Tourville provided the late game heroics the Cougars needed, tripling home the winning run for a walkoff 4-3 victory in the eighth.
Crandall snagged win number 27 as she closes the regular season with an incredible 27-2 record. She allowed just four hits and three runs, none of which were earned in another dazzling outing. Tourville was the hero for CCU, giving them the initial lead with her homer before smacking the walkoff triple for 3 RBI in the game.
GAME TWO
The Cougars were ready to bring out the brooms in game two, and they made sure it did not take them long to score in this contest. Miki Berg slapped a double down the left field line to plate two in the second, and CCU was on their way. The third inning was one to remember, as 10 runs came across with 14 at bats taken by the offense. Tourville began the scoring with a sacrifice fly, and from there it was a hit party. Taylor Olsen doubled in a run, and Leah Garcia tripled in another two. Berg doubled to the exact same spot she did in the second to notch another RBI, Mikayla Oaks indeed and promptly slapped an RBI single.
A Sami Edwards triple plated the eighth run of the lengthy inning, and Kayla Middleton notched an RBI with a single right after her. Tourville came around for the second time in the inning, and she snagged another RBI, this time with a single to center field. It was an offensive onslaught from the Cougars, and it was all they needed to close out Fort Lewis for a 12-0 run-rule victory in their regular season finale.
Abrie Castillo was wonderful throughout, hurling four shutout innings with just four hits allowed. Coach Larry Hays then entered his seniors, as Roope induced a double play, and Alexis Hamilton closed the game to record the final out. Berg led her team with 3 RBI during the blowout win.
CCU celebrated nine wonderful and impactful seniors at the close of the second game. Miki Berg, Abrie Castillo, Kali Crandall, Sami Edwards, Alexis Hamilton, Logan Menzies, Taylor Olsen, Samaria Roope and Savannah Tourville were all honored and received framed jerseys from their coaches. This group of players helped form CCU into a national power, and their contributions to this program will be felt for many years to come.
Colorado Christian now looks ahead to the RMAC Tournament which will be hosted in Lakewood at All Star Park May 4-6. CCU will play at 2 p.m. MST May 4 against the winner of the Mines vs. Colorado Mesa matchup earlier that morning.
