COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (GoThunderWolves.com - April 27, 2013) - The CSU-Pueblo softball team picked up two quality wins Saturday as they defeated UC-Colorado Springs 8-3 and conference-leading Colorado Mines 6-2.
Game one against the Mountain Lions was simply a marathon. The game spanned 12 innings as the teams shared three runs in the 11th, before the Pack wrapped up the game with a strong five-run outburst in the 12th.
Justine Bosio (Sr., Santa Barbara, Calif.) drove in two runs with a single to right field to start the rally before McKenzie Joseph (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif.) hit a sac-fly and Ariel Lopez (So., Fontana, Calif.) homered to cap the inning.
The top of the lineup was particularly strong as they combined for nine hits in the victory.
The starting pitchers, Bosio and Becca Smith stole the show for most of the game as they both pitched 10 scoreless innings, before both teams added three runs in the 11th to open the scoring.
Brittany Styger (So., Kent, Wash.) opened the 11th with a single to left center that drove in a run. Samantha Rios (Sr., Fullerton, Calif.) then drove in two runs with a single to left field.
The Mountain Lions responded with three back-to-back-to-back singles that drove in three runs of their own to knot the score at 3-3.
Game two pitted two of the top three teams in the conference as the Pack featured a strong offense and a solid pitching performance from Kelli Henry (So., Monument, Colo.) in the victory.
The Orediggers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after a wild pitch scored Macy Jones in the third inning.
The Pack responded with two strong innings, sparked by a two-run shot by Bosio in the fourth inning.
Henry was then able to score a quick three outs in the bottom of the fourth, to keep the hot offense on the field.
She was rewarded with four runs, beginning with an infield single by Joseph that scored Rios. A single in the next at-bat by Lopez, scored Dora Hernandez (Fr., Benton City, Wash.) as the Pack continued to rally. Carlee Chain (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.) would cap the strong inning with a double down the left field line that drove in two runs.
The Pack will cap the regular season with two more games against Mines and UCCS beginning Sunday. They face off against the Orediggers at noon before capping the regular season against the Mountain Lions at 2 p.m.
