The Mavericks scored early and kept on top of things in a 2-1 victory to begin the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) tournament.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Ellie Smith drove a ball to center field with redshirt sophomore Lauren Wedman on base to give the Mavericks the advantage throughout the game. The home run gave Smith her 16 of the season.
“Hitting wise I was trying to get on and make contact with the ball and be a relaxed hitter for this team. Home runs will come with that I wasn’t really aiming for that or looking for that. I was just aiming to get on but anything works,” Smith said.
Smith talked about how the momentum flows throughout the whole line up when either Wedman and redshirt senior Brooke Doumer gets on and how it makes her job a little bit easier.
“ When the first two batters like Brooke Doumer and Lauren Wedman are amazing about getting on it makes it a lot easier as a hitter to keep that momentum going and it is contagious throughout our whole team then,” Smith said.
Colorado Mesa University out-hit Colorado School of Mines by only one hit with all eight hits that the Mavericks produced, given up by Sydney Marchando. Marchando also struck out six Mavericks throughout her six innings of work.
I think we were a little ahead because I think she [Sydney Marchando] pitched before earlier in the day and she was throwing a little bit slower then she did and we were having trouble timing that and we were a little bit under it. The next time we see that we need to make a little bit of an adjustment on slower pitching. But we are warmed up now,” Smith said.
Wedman and redshirt senior first baseman Sarah Staudle were the only two CMU batters to have more than one hit in the game. Staudle was able to produce two singles while Wedman hit three singles of her own.
Smith’s home run was the only runs the Mavericks put on the board as redshirt junior Paige Adair was able to find her rhythm against a tough Colorado School of Mines (CSM) line up.
The only other run that came in this game was a home run from CSM’s Clara Larson in the fifth inning off of Adair.
Smith got things done not only at the plate but also in the circle as she was asked by the coaching staff to come into relief for Adair. Smith only gave up one hit in her one and two thirds innings of work on Thursday afternoon.
Another factor that came into play in this game was the redshirt sophomore third baseman Nicole Christensen as she had some highlight real worthy catches at the hot corner.
“I mean that line drive was. That is one of the things I love best about playing the hot corner is you don’t really have to think about it sometimes it just comes to you,” Christensen said.
After beating the CSM, CMU will face Colorado Christian University after their late inning win against Metro State University- Denver. The two teams will face off at 4 p.m. in Grand Junction, Colo.
