The Fort Lewis College softball team closed out its four-game series with CSU Pueblo on Sunday with a dominate 7-1 win to split the series, 2-2.
CSU Pueblo took Game 1 on Saturday, 6-5, but FLC fought back and won the second game, 6-4.
The Thunderwolves also won the first game on Sunday, 5-2, but FLC freshman pitcher Amiee Shanks earned the win in the second game to help her team get the split while improving her record to 4-4 on the year. FLC is now 5-20 overall while CSU Pueblo is 12-9.
In the Game 1 Saturday, Cat Rodman tripled to start the second inning and scored on Taylor Beaman single to tie the game, 1-1. CSU Pueblo went up 5-1 with a two-run home run in the fourth, but FLC got within one of the pack after Beaman, Taya Opheim and Alex Tenorio picked up RBIs in the bottom of the frame.
CSU-Pueblo added a run in the sixth, but FLC loaded the bases with a trio of walks and Madyson Devers hit an RBI fielder’s choice.
The Pack got out of the frame with a flyout to center field. Fort Lewis again loaded them up in the seventh, but a groundout to shortstop halted the rally in a 6-5 final score.
Hailie Mann threw six innings, giving up nine hits and one earned run for the Skyhawks.
In Game 2 Saturday, FLC took a 1-0 lead on a passed ball. Jadyn Gilley then hit a 2-RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0 in the second.
CSU Pueblo plated four runs in the third to take a 4-3 lead.
Tenorio, however, smacked a homer over the left-field wall to put the blue and gold back up 5-4.
Opheim then gave FLC an insurance run in the sixth with a solo home run.
Shanks pitched four innings, giving up five hits and no earned runs to get the win while Mann threw the last three innings to get the save.
In the first game on Sunday, CSU Pueblo scored two runs in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Fort Lewis broke through in the fourth inning when a double from Cara Daugherty plated Cat Rodman from second. The Skyhawks found the equalizer in the following at-bat with an RBI single from Beaman.
In the seventh, Hannah Hackney hit a 3-run home run for CSU Pueblo, which proved to be the difference.
In Sunday’s second game, Tenorio scored on a Rodman sacrifice fly to give the Skyhwaks a 1-0 lead in the first.
CSU Pueblo tied the game in the top of the third, but back-to-back doubles from Daugherty and Sydney Stewart in the bottom of the inning plated a pair and gave FLC a 3-1 advantage.
In the fourth, a Jadyn Gilley triple scored two more runs and then Rodman hit an RBI ground out to bring Gilley home and put FLC up, 6-1.
The Skyhawks turned a 1-6-3 double play to end a threat in the fifth inning.
Tenorio scored her third run of the game on a Gilley sacrifice fly in the sixth, then fielded the final out to secure the victory in the seventh.
FLC will next play a four-game series at the Colorado School of Mines (7-15) on Saturday and Sunday.
