Off to its best start to a season in 30 years, the Fort Lewis College softball team picked up an award Tuesday.
FLC went 3-0 on the season-opening trip to Albuquerque with a pair of wins against Eastern New Mexico and a 9-0 thumping of Oklahoma Baptist.
The Skyhawks received stellar pitching from sophomore transfer Emily Morris of Highlands Ranch. The ThunderRidge alumna spent one season at Middlebury College in Vermont where she amassed a 10-8 record in the pitcher’s circle with 12 complete games. Last weekend, she started her FLC career off in fine fashion with two wins.
Morris pitched nine innings and allowed only five hits and one unearned run. In the 9-0 victory to open the season against Oklahoma Baptist, Morris started and lasted four innings. In Saturday’s weekend finale against Eastern New Mexico, she came on in relief and pitched the game’s final five innings in a 7-3 win. She did not register a strikeout in her first start but had five strikeouts against the Greyhounds. She has yet to issue a walk this season.
With her effort, Morris was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday.
FLC’s pitchers have a combined earned-run average of 0.74 and have held opposing hitters to a .138 batting average.
Now, Morris and the Skyhawks will look to keep the strong start going at the Dixie State Tournament in St. George, Utah. FLC will open at 10 a.m. Thursday against Hawaii Pacific before a 3 p.m. Thursday game against Montana State University-Billings. FLC will play five games in all with matchups Friday with Central Washington University and Western Washington University before closing out the weekend at 12:30 p.m. Saturday against Northwest Nazarene University.
The first RMAC games of the season will come Feb. 23 at home against No. 21 Colorado Mesa University. The Skyhawks will play their home games on campus at Aspen Field for the first full season since 2016.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
