DURANGO, Colo. (April 25, 2015) – Fighting for playoff positioning entering the final weekend of the regular season, the Colorado State University-Pueblo softball team picked up two big road wins at Fort Lewis College Saturday. The ThunderWolves defeated the Skyhawks 6-2 in game one, followed with a come-from-behind 14-10 victory in the nightcap.
Game one, the Pack struck first with two runs in the top of the second inning, an RBI-double by Dora Hernandez (Jr., OF, Benton City, Wash.) along with a walk with the bases loaded to Alexa Snyder (Sr., 2B, Pueblo, Colo.) gave the ThunderWolves an early lead.
Chrystal Reese (Jr., OF, Pilot Point, Tex.) drilled her team-high sixth homerun of the season with a solo shot leading off the third inning.
Cruising through the five innings, Pack hurler Kelli Henry (Sr., Monument, Colo.) was tossing a shutout, allowing five hits and two walks in that span, holding a 3-0 lead.
Another run crossed in the top of the sixth for the ThunderWolves when Sidney Bailey (Sr., OF, Pueblo, Colo.) crushed an RBI-double to left field, giving the Pack a 4-0 advantage.
Fort Lewis would get on the board in the home half of the sixth scoring two runs on two hits in the inning.
In the final at bat, the ThunderWolves gathered two additional runs on a defensive error by the Skyhawks.
Henry threw one strikeout in the final frame, finishing with eight in the game, picking up the 6-2 win to improve to 13-5 on the season. Henry tossed her 15 complete game of the season.
Game two the Pack game out of the gate sluggish, scoring the first runs of the game on just one hit in the inning and a 2-0 lead.
The Skyhawks answered with two runs in their half of the inning, tying the game at two apiece.
Fort Lewis scored six runs on six hits in the second frame, taking an 8-2 lead through two innings.
CSU-Pueblo would respond with three runs in the top of the third, highlighted by a two-run triple from Snyder cutting the lead in half at 8-5.
Shortstop Moriah Turney (So., Brighton, Colo.) connected on a two-run double to right center field along with an RBI-single by Kennedy Smith (So., Fillmore, Calif.) knotted the game at 8-8.
Fort Lewis regained the lead in the home half of the fourth, scoring one run on three hits in the inning and a 9-8 advantage.
A scoreless fifth inning for both squads set the stage for five-run sixth inning for the ThunderWolves.
Bailey highlighted the inning with a three-run double down the left field line along with an RBI-single by Turney, put the game out of reach at 13-9.
The Skyhawks would add one final run in the sixth but would not get closer.
CSU-Pueblo added a solo run in the seventh with a two-out homerun hit by Jasmine Vogel (Sr., OF, Oceanside, Calif.) secured the victory 14-10.
Turney finished the game going 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored and four RBIs.
Yvanna Bejarano (Sr., P, Thatcher, Ariz.) who had come on in relief with two outs in the second inning for the Pack, tossed 3.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits to pick up the victory. She improves to 4-7 this season.
Henry also came on to pitch the sixth, throwing two innings allowing one hit and two strikeouts.
In other RMAC games, MSU Denver swept a doubleheader today in Chadron, Neb., clinching the RMAC regular season title. The Roadrunners will play host to the eight team double-elimination tournament beginning Thursday.
CSU-Pueblo (25-21, 21-13 RMAC) still sit in the fourth spot of the standings with the final doubleheader set against the Skyhawks for an 11 a.m. start time Sunday at Aspen Field.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
