After tallying just three hits through the first six innings of Game 1 on Saturday against Black Hills State, Alex Tenorio capped off an extra-innings rally for the Fort Lewis College softball team. Tenorio smacked a three-run home run to give FLC a 6-3 walk-off win.
FLC kept the momentum rolling and eventually swept the four-game series, its first of the year at Aspen Field. FLC won the second game on Saturday 9-1 and then scored 7-6 and 3-2 wins on Sunday.
“It was a beautiful day to finally be back at home, and I want to really thank everyone who helped us get our field ready for this weekend,” Fort Lewis College Head Coach Dwight Sanders stated. “I'm really proud of our girls today. Hopefully, we gave the fans what they wanted to see, and those girls really showed some of the grit Skyhawks softball is about. These girls don't give up, and that really showed in game one against a challenging pitcher. In Game 2, the girls hit the ball like they knew they could, and the results speak for themselves.”
Catheryn Rodman also homered for FLC in Game 1 of the series while Sabrina Carillo and Izzy Giroux had RBIs. Amiee Shanks (10-5 overall) threw all eight innings for FLC to get the win, striking out four and not giving up a walk.
In Game 2, FLC scored in every inning while playing error-free defense to get the win. Tenorio, Sloan Shotton and Carrillo each had two RBIs while Alysa Gutierrez, Rodman and Cara Daugherty all batted in one. Caydee Farnsworth gave up four hits in five innings to get the win on the mound.
On Sunday, FLC trailed the Yellow Jackets in both games, but rallied for two more victories.
Trailing 5-1 in Game 3, the Skyhawks scored six runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by Kayla Stone’s fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot. Shanks picked up her 10th win in the contest.
The final game of the series was a pitcher’s dual. Labraida Tenorio struck out 13 Yellow Jackets to help her get the win.
FLC still trailed 2-1 heading into the seventh, but tied the game when Giroux singled home Carillo.
In the eighth, Carillo gave FLC its second walk-off win of the weekend when she singled home Alex Tenorio.
FLC, now 15-18 overall and 13-13 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, will be at home for four more games this week against the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (11-24, 8-18). The teams will play at noon and 2 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday.
Katie Fankhouser continued her tear, setting a new FLC record in the 1,500-meter race on Sunday at the CSU Pueblo Open. Fankhouser finished fourth in the race in a record time of 4:34.78. Fankhouser almost broke the school’s 800 record as well, finishing with the program’s second fastest time of 2:13.87 and placing sixth in the race.
Carmella Wright led the FLC women in the 5,000 (10th, 19:02.14) while Taylor Murphy was the team’s top finisher in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (ninth, 12:19.12).
Aaron Busche led the FLC men in the 1,500 (11th, 3:57.16) while Conner Dosmann finished in his heels (13th, 3:58.89).
Javier Victorino led the men in 800 (17th, 2:00.89).
FLC will next race at the University of New Mexico’s Spring Invite on Thursday in Albuquerque.
The Fort Lewis College women’s lacrosse team took on the No. 3 ranked Regis Rangers on Sunday and fell 18-2. Regis scored the game’s first 10 goals before Ellie Martinez got FLC on the scoreboard in the second quarter. Diamond Velasco also scored a second-quarter goal for FLC, but the Skyhawks were shut out in the second half.
FLC slipped to 0-7, 0-4 RMAC while Regis improved to 9-0, 3-0.
FLC will next play at CSU Pueblo on Friday.
In the final scheduled golf tournament ahead of the RMAC Championships, Brooke Sturtevant was the lead Skyhawk. Sturtevant finished in a tie for 40th as the FLC women's golf team tied for 18th at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association Palm Valley Classic over the weekend.
West Texas A&M University and Colorado Christian University tied for the team title at 586 (+10), but West Texas took the trophy after a two-hole playoff.
Oklahoma Christian University's Sofia Benavides was the only competitor to break par, winning with a 143 (-1).
Sturtevant shot a 153, with an eagle and five birdies in Round 1. Kendal Gutierrez shot a 155, Emma Tornroos shot a 158 and Emilia Manntz shot a 167.
The RMAC Championships are scheduled for April 23-25 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
