Twenty-two games into the season, Fort Lewis College finally is ready to host a true home softball series.
The FLC Skyhawks (10-12, 6-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) will host Colorado Christian (9-10, 5-3 RMAC) in a pair of doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday. After taking three out of four games at Black Hills State last weekend, the Skyhawks aim to repeat that success this weekend.
“The last two years, we have had some really good games against them,” FLC head coach Kira Zeiter said of Colorado Christian. “It is always a good rivalry, and we are looking forward to a good weekend of softball.”
It will be the first games at Aspen Field on the FLC campus this season for the Skyhawks. FLC played four “home games” in Bloomfield, N.M., in a pod against Adams State and Western N.M. That series was moved south because of wet weather in Durango. Though there is a chance of rain Saturday in Durango, the Skyhawks are ready to host all four games at Aspen Field.
“It feels like we are weather-watchers all the time up here. We are hoping for some sunshine,” Zeiter said.
Colorado Christian enters the weekend series having suffered its fair share of ups and downs to go along with weather cancellations. After having four games cancelled in the previous two weeks, the Cougars squeezed in two games with a win against New Mexico Highlands and a loss to Metro State.
FLC had its bats going in South Dakota last weekend. Adriana Rosthenhausler had five doubles in four games, and Destinee DeHerrera and Chelsea Rodriguez continued to swing big bats.
Rodriguez is tied for third in the RMAC in batting average at .440 and third in slugging percentage at .900. She also leads the conference in on-base percentage at .594 and runs scored with 22.
Myndee Thompson is batting .403 for the Skyhawks, good for 10th in the RMAC. Her 23 runs batted in are third-best in the RMAC. Rodriguez has 21 RBIs.
“We are waiting for our pitch and then swinging at our pitch with aggression,” Zeiter said. “The girls did a good job taking advantage of a good approach at the plate.”
FLC’s pitching staff will have to work carefully around Jessica Romine of Colorado Christian. The junior from Grand Junction is batting .344 and is second in the league with two triples.
The Cougars have a strong pitcher in the circle in Mariah Bledsoe. The junior has the third best earned-run average in the RMAC at 3.14. FLC’s Victoria Johnson is fourth at 3.34. FLC’s other starter, Kiley Raica has a 4.55 ERA.
“I have been really pleased with our pitching and catching. Hayley (Bolyard) has been really strong behind the plate calling good games for our pitchers,” Zeiter said. “We have been really happy with the battery all year.”
This weekend presents a good opportunity for FLC to move up the RMAC standings. The Skyhawks currently rank seventh, and Colorado Christian is fourth. But don’t expect the Skyhawks to have conference standings weighing heavily on their minds.
“At this point in the season, we are taking it one pitch at a time. We are not looking ahead or back,” Zeiter said. “If we play the best softball we can in the moment and don’t worry about standings or anything like that, we will be fine.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
