The Fort Lewis College softball team won its first game at home on Saturday at Aspen Field and lost the final three to close out the weekend against Colorado School of Mines and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
The Skyhawks (10-27, 5-19 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) had a memorable offensive performance in the first game at Aspen Field in 2019, and only the second home series since the end of the 2016 season, after lengthy renovations went beyond 2017 and into the final weekend of last season.
In Saturday’s first game against UCCS, the Mountain Lions took the lead in the top of the first inning, but FLC came right back in the bottom half of the inning to answer. The Skyhawks loaded the bases after Allison Young was hit by a pitch, Taylor Hollestelle walked and Angelique Elemen singled after the ball was misplayed. Dana Dwyer delivered with a single to tie the game at one, and McKenna Hefley followed up and delivered a double to right-center field to score two and give FLC the 3-1 lead. The Skyhawks quickly added two more when Julia Roberts delivered a bases-clearing single to make it 5-1 after the first inning.
The offense came to life in the fourth when they scored five more runs. With runners on second and third, Hannah Gondini laid down a bunt to score Kylie Hefley, while they would add two more on a groundout and a fielding error. McKenna Hefley delivered with a clutch two-run RBI double to right field to make it 10-1.
The Mountain Lions added two in the fourth and four in the seventh, but Emily Morris (4-6) struck out the final batter to secure the 10-7 win.
Roberts finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored, while McKenna Hefley had two hits and added four RBIs for the Skyhawks.
In the second game, Colorado School of Mines (17-11, 16-4 RMAC) blanked FLC 7-0. The Orediggers got off to a 1-0 lead in the second on a sacrifice fly, and added two more in the third when shortstop Ciara Larson launched a two-run home run to make it 3-0.
FLC threatened in the bottom of the third and had runners on first and second when Gondini and Taylor Hollestelle singled, but a groundout to third ended the threat.
Mines put the game away in the sixth when Kendall Murphy and Katie Leiker doubled and combined for three RBIs to make it 7-0.
On Sunday, the pod series was moved to Aztec, New Mexico due to inclement weather in Durango. The weather didn’t slow down the opposing offenses, as the Orediggers blanked FLC for the second time in as many days. Sydney Marchando (9-3) allowed just five baserunners for Mines and was stellar in the circle.
Fort Lewis again threatened but was unable to score with runners in scoring position. In the sixth, Clara Larson blew the game wide open with a bases-clearing double to left-center field with the bases loaded to make it 5-0.
Kelly Decker went the distance for FLC and finished with 142 pitches, but dropped to 1-10 on the year.
In the second game on Sunday against the Mountain Lions, Fort Lewis’ demons returned once again as the Skyhawks gave up another late-inning lead. The Skyhawks got off to a 5-0 lead, and started in the second inning when Allison Young hit a two-run single, while Gondini added another RBI single. In the fifth, Kylie Hefley drove in her sister with a single, while Taylor Beamen added another RBI with a groundout.
However, it all fell apart in the final two innings as UCCS got on the board with a two-run homer to make it a 5-2 game. The Mountain Lions offense then took off with seven runs in the seventh, after eight of the first nine batters reached on base. Rayle Glover doubled to right field to tie the game at five, and they took the lead on a wild pitch. Before it was all said and done, they would add three more RBIs, including a two-run RBI double.
Fort Lewis will travel to New Mexico Highlands next Saturday and Sunday for a four-game series at Cowgirl Softball Field.
bploen@durangoherald.com
