The Fort Lewis College softball team concluded its 2023 campaign on Saturday after dropping its final two games of the season, 4-3 and 12-0, to No. 9 ranked Colorado Christian University. The Skyhawks close out the season with a 23-26 overall record and a 21-21 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
The Cougars improved to 52-4, 42-2, and will look ahead to hosting the RMAC Tournament this weekend. The top six teams from the conference advance to the RMAC Tournament, and FLC finished seventh in the regular-season standings. Fort Lewis, however, finished with an even or better conference record for the fourth-straight season.
“Our season ended early which is a bummer,” said head coach Dwight Sanders. “I'm still so proud of this group and all that they've accomplished. It is an honor to show up every day and grind with this talented group of young ladies. We played extremely well this weekend and throughout the season. We're a young team and to see this kind of success so early, we're putting ourselves in a strong position for years to come.”
The Skyhawks graduate two seniors, Sloan Shotton, and Katie Pippel.
After a dazzling game one performance on Friday, Amiee Shanks (16-8) and Kali Crandall (27-2) toed the rubber to square off once more and the second bout proved just as exciting. Neither side would concede an inch, forcing zeros across the board through the first five frames.
The Cougars finally struck in the sixth on a two-run home run off the bat of Savannah Tourville.
Fort Lewis erupted in the final frame for the second straight day, pushing across three runs to put Colorado Christian on its heels 3-2. Alex Tenorio and Cara Daugherty each provided clutch RBI singles while an error forced by Izzy Giroux would score the final run.
A pinch-hit double for CCU’s Samaria Roope, however, brought in the tying run in the bottom of the seventh. An inning later a triple from Tourville scored Kenzie Middleton for the walk-off victory.
In the second game on Saturday, CCU exploded for a 10-run third inning and never looked back.
Tenorio finished with FLC’s highest batting average, .377. She had 60 base hits in 159 at bats, including eight home runs and 11 doubles, to drive in 33 RBIs.
Catheryn Rodman led FLC with nine home runs and 35 RBIs.
Alyssa Gutierrez had a team-high four triples and finished with a .322 batting average.
Shotton and Kayla Stone both hit five home runs and drove in 29 runs. Shotton also scored a team-high 36 runs, followed by Tenorio with 31.
Giroux and Sabrina Carillo both hit four home runs.
Shanks led FLC’s pitchers with a 4.43 ERA, 17 complete games and a 16-8 record.
