ALAMOSA, CO- Colorado Christian closed their series at Adams State with a doubleheader on Sunday. It was all Cougars all day long as they overwhelmed the Grizzlies for a pair of run-rule victories 14-5 and 15-1.
GAME ONE
The offense got going in the third inning of the first contest, as Kaila Eastburn singled home a pair of runs. Leah Garcia followed that up by depositing a ball over the right center field wall for a two-run homer to continue her hot start to the season. Logan Menzies and Elyse McMullin notched RBI singles as the lead grew to 6-0.
The Grizzlies clawed back into the game, plating five runs in the bottom half of the fifth to tighten the game to just one run. However, CCU had an answer as they tacked on a run in the fourth with a Garcia sacrifice fly. They really broke things open in the fifth, starting with a Menzies double to plate a run. McMullin nabbed an RBI groundout before Kenzie Middleton picked up an RBI sac fly. The runs continued to pour in, as Sami Edwards got involved with a solo home run and Kayla Middleton plated two more with a double. The final blow came off the bat of Samaria Roope as she singled in the final run of the game in a 14-5 run-rule victory.
Emma Duncan nabbed win number seven on the season, while Hanna Espinoza closed out the final two innings in the circle. Garcia led the offense with a trio of RBI, followed by four players with two RBI.
GAME TWO
The second game was utter domination from start to finish, as the runs came early and often and never stopped. Kayla Middleton jacked a three-run homer in her first at bat of the game as the visitors quickly jumped ahead 3-0. An edwards sac fly in the second combined with an RBI hit by pitch from Cheyenne Stark sent the scoreline to 5-0, and Kenzie Middleton singled home two more for a 7-0 lead after three.
Stark continued to have patient at-bats, securing another RBI with a bases loaded walk in the fourth, and Roope was then hit with the bases juiced for an RBI. Another run scored on a passed ball as things got ugly fast for a 10-0 lead. The fourth inning refused to end for the home team, as Kenzie Middleton joined the party with a three-run jack of her own to stretch the lead to 13-0. One final run scored on an error, and a late run from Adams State meant little in the 15-1 run-rule win.
Eastburn notched the win with four innings of one-run ball with three hits, while Carson Griggs closed it out in the fifth. The Middleton twins powered the offense, each slamming three-run homers and notching five RBI apiece. The win marks the 30th straight win for CCU softball over Adams State, dating back to April of 2017.
With a perfect 4-0 start to conference play, the Cougars will now travel further south to Durango as they take on Fort Lewis on February 23-24 with first pitch on day one set for 12 p.m. MST.
