It took only 17 games this season for the Fort Lewis College softball team to surpass its win total from 2017.
The Skyhawks knocked off Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe Colorado School of Mines 4-3 on Monday for their seventh win of the season. The Skyhawks (7-11, 1-3 RMAC) were 6-43 in 2017.
The victory against the Orediggers (9-7, 3-1 RMAC) was the third game of a four-game series – held on Sunday and Monday at the Aztec Tiger Sports Complex in Aztec – to open RMAC play. Mines beat FLC 13-2, 6-1 and 13-3 in the three other games.
In the victory, FLC pitcher Kendra Keahbone (3-3) tossed a complete game. The freshman from Albuquerque allowed seven hits, one walk and struck out five while throwing 88 pitches in seven innings.
Keahbone held the Orediggers to 7-of-29 at the plate. In the other three games, Mines hit a combined .379 (36-for-95) and drew 27 walks.
Mines’ Claire Stringfellow (4-3) earned the win in Game 1 of the series, and Hallie Smith (3-2) got victories in the second and fourth games. Sydney Marchando (0-1) took the loss in Game 3.
Mandy Lorenson (3-3) was the losing pitcher in Game 1, Keahbone lost Game 2 and Kassidy Trumbo (1-3) look the loss in Game 4 for FLC.
The Skyhawks had a combined batting average of .210 (20-for-95) in the four games.
FLC’s Lauren Caldwell finished the series 4-for-11 at the plate with two runs batted in and three doubles. Allison Young went a combined 5-for-12 with a triple, three runs scored and four stolen bases.
FLC will host Colorado Christian (11-1, 4-0 RMAC) for a four-game series Saturday and Sunday in Aztec, as the FLC field is still under renovations that displaced FLC from its home Aspen Field for the entire 2017 season. Saturday’s doubleheader will get underway at noon.
Fort Lewis College’s women’s golf team began its spring season this week at the California Baptist University’s Lancer Joust on Monday and Tuesday at Goose Creek Golf Club in Jurupa Valley, California.
The Skyhawks finished the tournament 17th out of 18 teams with a two-round team score of 671, which was 95-over par.
The host Lancers won the tournament with a 15-over 591. Cal State-San Marcos was second at 597 and Academy of Art University, located in San Francisco, was third at 603.
CBU’s Yifei Wang was the overall champion with a 2-over 146. She beat out San Marcos’ Bergen Benedict, who also posted a 146, in a playoff.
Isabella Martinez was the low Skyhawk with a 162. Summer Vigil shot 168, Kara Tschirhart shot 171 and Sophie Schwartz shot 177. Amanda Westrick posted an 84 in the first round but did not play in the second round for FLC.
The Skyhawks will be off until the Pack Spring Invitational hosted by Colorado State University-Pueblo on March 25-26 at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
