GOLDEN, CO- The Cougars played a unique home away from home doubleheader in Golden on Saturday due to the baseball team playing their home series at All Star Park. Riding a 22 game win streak into the series against Mines, CCU hung on in both games to make it 24 in a row with a 4-1 victory in game one followed by a thrilling walkoff win 9-8 in game two. 

GAME ONE 
The first two innings of game one featured strong pitching as neither team was able to score despite some opportunities with runners on the basepaths. A quick flyout and groundout to start the bottom of the third for the Cougars appeared to be heading for another shutout inning, but that all changed in the most pivotal three moments of the game. 

The top of the lineup came up to bat with two outs, and Kat Hanson got her team on the board with a huge solo bomb to right field. Elyse McMullin stepped up next and deposited another blast over the fence in right field for a 2-0 advantage. Sensing an opportunity, Arriana Wright stepped into the batter's box and absolutely demolished a ball to left centerfield to cap back-to-back-to-back homers and push the Cougars ahead 3-0. Another run would score in the sixth for CCU, and despite a run in the seventh from Mines, the Cougars prevailed in game one 4-1. 

Felesha LePenske improved to 10-0 in the circle this season, throwing all seven innings and notching seven strikeouts for the victory. The offense came via the long ball from Hanson, McMullin and Wright as they combined to accomplish the rare feat of three homers in a row. 

GAME TWO
Hanson picked up right where she left off in game one, leading off game two with another solo homer to right field to give her team the early advantage. She continued to pick up RBI with a two run-scoring single to make it 3-0 CCU in the second. McMullin and Wright continued to hit the ball well, roping consecutive singles to plate two more runs and make it 5-0 after two innings of play. 

The third inning saw a surge from the Orediggers offense as they rallied for five runs to tie the game and force a new pitcher into the circle for CCU as Lisa Liddell exited and Hanna Espinoza came on. It was a stalemate from there as the relievers for both teams found their rhythm, and the Cougars were down to their final out in the sixth before a pair of walks gave them an opportunity. Leah Garcia seized that opportunity, taking a 1-2 pitch deep to left center to put her team back ahead 8-5. 

Mines proved their quality once again, rallying back for three runs in the top of the seventh on a single and two-run triple. A pivotal play came with a runner on third and one out as Peyton Marvel took a grounder at shortstop and quickly fired home in time for Garcia to apply the tag and avoid the 9-8 deficit. The next batter grounded out to set the table for a potential walkoff in the bottom of the seventh for CCU. The defensive hero from the inning before wasted no time in ending the game as Marvel led off and sent the first pitch she saw over the fence in left field as the Cougars streamed onto the field to celebrate the walkoff 9-8 victory in a thrilling affair.

Hanson continued to lead her team with three RBI, matched by Garcia with her three-run homer. Marvel came through when her team needed her most, making a dazzling play at shortstop to save a run and blasting a walkoff home run to preserve the 24 game win streak for her team and send CCU to an 18-0 mark in RMAC play. 

With a split at Chadron State today from MSU Denver, the Cougars now sit four games clear of second place with their league leading 18-0 record followed by the Roadrunners and Colorado Mesa at 14-4. CCU will host MSU Denver April 2-3 and travel to face the Mavericks April 18-19 in Grand Junction.

The Cougars will close their four-game series with Mines with another doubleheader March 22 in Golden at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. MDT.