DENVER, CO- The Cougars closed their series at crosstown rival MSU Denver on Saturday with a doubleheader. After falling 4-1 in game one, CCU plated four seventh innings runs to complete the game two comeback in an important 8-7 victory.
GAME ONE
The first contest of the day saw neither team score the first two innings before the Roadrunners had a big third inning to score four runs.
Peyton Marvel brought a run back in the sixth to make it 4-1, but it was not enough as CCU could only muster five hits throughout in the setback.
Elyse McMullin and
Carson Griggs both pitched three innings with Griggs shutting down the hosts with a single walk and no hits or runs allowed.
GAME TWO
The Roadrunners got off to a hot start in the second contest of the day, tagging the Cougars for five second inning runs.
Leah Garcia did all she could to bring her team back, notching a sac fly in the third before an RBI triple in the fifth to make it 5-2.
Kat Hanson roped the second triple of the inning to score Leah as the deficit was cut to 5-3.
MSUD scored a pair of runs in the fifth to take a 7-3 lead, but CCU showed grit and resilience in a huge seventh inning. McMullin led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Leah then singled to put runners at the corners, and
Rachel Williams made it 7-5 with an RBI single. After a Hanson single loaded the bases,
Lauren Garcia notched an RBI groundout as the score stood at 7-6.
Mia Stankiewicz then laid down a squeeze bunt as Williams raced home for the tie, and was able to dash home thanks to an error from the Roadrunners' catcher as CCU roared back for an 8-7 advantage. Griggs closed out the victory in the final inning, earning her team an important series split with the 8-7 victory.
Emma Duncan and
Hanna Espinoza threw the first 4.1 innings before Griggs twirled the final 2.2 innings as she recorded the victory with a one hit and no run gem of a performance. Leah and Hanson recorded a pair of RBI apiece to lead their team.
The Cougars will return home for a four-game series with Black Hills State beginning April 4 at 12 p.m. followed by game two at 2 p.m. MST.
