LAS VEGAS, NM (April 15, 2017) – The Colorado State University-Pueblo softball team, seeking its twelfth consecutive trip to the RMAC Tournament, earned a doubleheader split Sunday at New Mexico Highlands University keeping pace with the Cowgirls.
The Pack shutout the Cowgirls 11-0 in 5 innings of a run-ruled shortened contest and fell 6-3 in the series finale at Brandt Field.
CSU-Pueblo collected twenty hits on the day and was paced by Hailey Bennett (Fr., UT, Norco, Calif.) with five hits in two games.
In game one the Pack got on the board in the first at bat on a RBI double by Gabby Moreno (Fr., 3B, Scottsdale, Ariz.) to score Bennett who was beamed leading off the game.
The ThunderWolves tacked on two more runs in the third on a sac flyout by K'Lee Kent (Jr., DP, Hobbs, NM) and RBI single from Michaela Burpee (So., C, Union City, Calif.).
The Pack defense retired the Cowgirls in four batters in the home half of the third to quickly return to the dugout and get their offense rolling.
In the fourth CSU-Pueblo sent 14 hitters to the plate en route to scoring eight runs on six hits and two NMHU errors.
Sabrina Felix (Fr., OF, Corona, Calif.) and Kennedy Smith (Sr., OF, Fillmore, Calif.) each earned two runs batted in the inning. Four other Pack players collected an RBI in putting the game away.
Pack pitcher Lexie Martindale (Sr., DP, Pueblo, Colo.) allowed no runs on just three hits in five innings of work. She finished with three strikeouts and gave up just one hit from the second inning on.
Burpee finished game one 3-for-3 at the plate coupled with the Pack's 1-2-3 batters going a combined 6-for-9 at the dish and scored five runs.
In the series finale NMHU got out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI single but would leave the bases loaded.
The Pack took their first lead in the fourth inning scoring three runs on back-to-back singles by Martindale and Moriah Turney (Sr., 2B, Brighton, Colo.). Nicole Montoya (Sr., OF, Pueblo, Colo.) added an RBI single of her own in the frame.
NMHU regained the lead in the fifth with two runs scored on five hits.
The Cowgirls added three more runs on an inside-the-park homerun down the leftfield line.
The Pack mustered one hit over the final three innings succumbing to the 6-3 defeat.
Martindale was tabbed with the loss and drops to 10-10 on the year.
Bennett finished the series 7-for-13 at the dish with four runs scored.
CSU-Pueblo (15-25, 12-20 RMAC) wraps the home portion of the regular season and welcomes Fort Lewis Apr. 22-23 in a four game series at Rawlings Softball Complex.
– 30 –
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
