LAKEWOOD, CO- The Cougars opened up conference play on Saturday with their first two games of the season at All Star Park against New Mexico Highlands. After slugging their way to a run-rule 11-1 victory in game one, CCU faced a much tougher test in game two, going all the way to the ninth inning before an error allowed them to walk it off 7-6 for the doubleheader sweep. 

GAME ONE 
The offense got going early with four runs in the first inning, starting with an RBI single from Arriana Wright. Leah Garcia doubled down the left field line to bring in another run, and Peyton Marvel notched an RBI groundout. Maya Schroeder singled in the fourth run of the inning as CCU took control.

NMHU countered with a run in the second, but that is all they would get the rest of the way. A massive fourth inning would seal things for CCU as Kat Hanson tripled in a run to start the rally that would run-rule the Cowgirls. Wright doubled in another run, and Marvel drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 7-1. Rachel Davis stepped in as a pinch hitter and promptly roped a two-run single, while Hanson came back up and single two home as the run-rule went into effect with an 11-1 victory after five innings. 

Felesha LePenske picked up the win with two innings pitched with no earned runs allowed, while Hanna Espinoza was excellent in relief with three shutout innings tossed. It was a balanced offensive attack as Hanson registered 3 RBI and Wright, Marvel and Davis had 2 RBI apiece. 

GAME TWO
The Cowgirls offered a much tougher test in the second contest of the day, scoring first for the 1-0 lead. Wright responded with a single to tie the game at 1-1, but a solo homer from NMHU had them up again. An error allowed Maya Schroeder to score, and Hanson made the Cowgirls pay for the error with a double to put her team in front 3-2. 

Three runs in the third from New Mexico Highlands put them on top 5-3, but the Cougars had a response. Marvel picked up an RBI groundout, and Schroeder singled in another run to knot things up at 5-5. Meghan Sidell came up big in the fifth with a pinch hit RBI single to put her team on top 6-5. NMHU once again battled back to tie things at 6-6 as the game went into extra innings. 

After NMHU went scoreless in the eighth and ninth and CCU could not score in the eighth, Wright led off with a single in the ninth. The next play would end the game as an errant throw to first from third base allowed Wright to race around three bags and slide home for the thrilling walkoff victory 7-6. 

Lisa Liddell went 2.1 innings in the circle but was not in the decision. Espinoza picked up win number three on the season with an excellent 6.2 innings pitched on 110 pitches thrown with four strikeouts. The Cougars were opportunistic with a pair of unearned runs scored on errors as they took full advantage to claim the win. 

CCU will close the series with the Cowgirls on February 22 with a doubleheader at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. MST at All Star Park.