The Mavericks came out victorious and are the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) tournament champions.
After a tough 8-0 loss on Friday put Colorado Mesa University (CMU) in the bottom half of the bracket, they came back ready to win and that is what they did.
“It was a very odd day yesterday. I think everybody analyzed the day too much yesterday and came back and said we have to do all our normal superstitious things. Eat the same cereal, put the same socks on and everything kind of normal the same hairdos, get the same starbucks in the morning. They came out and everybody was feeling good,” Interim head coach Mercedes Bohte said.
Going back to the normal mojo that CMU carries showed and it showed early on in the day.
On Saturday afternoon, it started with the first all or nothing game of the day, as they took on Regis University (RU) for a chance to face Colorado Christian University (CCU) in the championship.
The Mavericks were in control of this one as redshirt sophomore pitcher Ellie Smith had a runner in redshirt senior outfielder Brooke Doumer aboard and hit a ball over the left field wall to give the Mavericks a two run lead.
Redshirt sophomore outfielder Lauren Wedman came up to the plate in the second inning with redshirt sophomore shortstop Ashley Bradford and redshirt freshman second baseman Aislyn Sharp on base. She was able to get two runs across the plate with a single to second base.
Coming into the final day of tournament play, Bohte made a lineup change that seemed to help the Mavericks offensively. The change was that instead of having Doumer in the lead off spot, Wedman would be the Mavericks number one batter and Doumer moved to the two hole.
“I think it did and we talked a little bit about it yesterday but they both were on board like okay gives Brooke a role if we just need to move runs. But she is also so quick that she is going to make a sacrifice bunt into a single and she did that quite a few times today,” Bohte said.
In the fifth inning, redshirt senior first baseman Sarah Staudle singled up the middle to record her first run batted in (RBI) of the day. Redshirt sophomore Brandi Hallar who was in to pinch run for Smith scored on the hit.
A big sixth inning from CMU gave them their 19 mercy rule game of the season.
“We have good hitters all through the line up. We can produce in all different ways and people really stepped up and found ways to get on base or find some walks or some little blooper hits. Of course, the big hits too,” Bohte said.
Redshirt sophomore Nicole Christensen reached on a fielding error from RU’s second baseman Victoria McMains that allowed Wedman to score on the play. Then came up Staudle who had the bases loaded with Mavericks waiting for her. Staudle doubled to left center field, scoring Doumer and Smith.
With the victory CMU knocked the Rangers out of the tournament and then faced CCU with the title on the line.
Since CCU was undefeated in the tournament up to the championship game in the tournament they were the home team as CMU would then play as the away team.
CCU jumped on the Mavericks early once again as Caitlin McCarthy singled to left field allowing Stephine Day to score.
CMU saw an opportunity to improve on their performance against CCU from Friday and did just that. In the second inning a big triple over the head of Kenzie Middleton from Bradford tied this game up as Staudle came around to score. The scoring continued for CMU in the inning as redshirt freshman outfielder Drew Sims singled, scoring Bradford.
CCU got back two runs as Piper Lujan singled to right field allowing Kenzie Middleton to score. McCarthy found her second RBI of the game as she singled allowing Day to score.
With the Cougars up 2-3, Christensen singled up the middle and around the base paths came the speed of Wedman and Doumer to give the Mavericks a one run advantage. Doumer used her speed to score again in the sixth as she scored on a wild pitch.
More runs came across for the Mavericks in the sixth as Staudle hit a sacrifice fly to center field and tagging up on the play would be Haller. Freshman catcher Ally Distler hit a rocket of a double down the left field line scoring Christensen in the inning.
In the seventh inning and with a four run lead, freshman Ava Fugate came up to bat for the first time on Saturday. With Bradford on base, Fugate lined one over the left field fence for her first home run as a Maverick. The home run by Fugate gave CMU the 9-3 victory.
With the win and because of the double elimination style of tournament CMU forced an if necessary winner take all game against the Cougars.
This was the third game of the day for the Mavericks and they were ready to roll.
Sharp did something in the second championship game that only Doumer and assistant coach Kelly Adams have done and that was to hit three home runs in a single game.
Sharp’s first home run came in the second inning on a 1-2 count to left field and was a solo shot. Her second home run was another solo home run that put the Mavericks up 5-0. A two run home run from Sharp in the seventh gave CMU their eighth and ninth runs of the game.
Sharp was not the only Maverick to score though as she had plenty of help from the whole Mavericks team.
The Mavericks second baseman discussed after the game that she did not know where the power came from but the confidence and encouragement from her coaches and teammates helped her a lot not just Saturday but throughout the season.
Smith singled in the second inning that allowed Doumer and Sims to score in the second. In the third, Bradford singled up the middle allowing Staudle to score. Fugate came through in a pinch hit situation again but this time with a double that would score Bradford.
In the sixth inning, CCU was able to put a run on the board as Day hit a home run to left field on a full count. Distler then responded for the Mavericks as she doubled to left field as Christensen scored.
In the seventh inning redshirt junior pitcher Paige Adair was trying to complete the game but ran into some trouble in the middle of the Cougars lineup.
Samaria Roope, with a 0-1 count on her and Kayla Middleton on base, hit a dinger out to left center field where she had been hitting rockets all weekend and put her team within six runs. Trying to help CCU make a comeback was Kenzie Middleton as Kiah Parker and Sami Edwards were on base. Ke.Middleton homered to the same spot out in left center field and now were closing in on CMU.
Piper Lujan hit a solo shot to straight away center field to make it a 9-7 game but that was not enough as the Mavericks got the outs they needed and walked away champions of the RMAC.
The CMU pitchers dealt on Saturday as they helped make the task a little bit easier for the offense.
Adair got the ball in game one against the Rangers and she was spot on. With the mercy rule win Adair threw a complete game and had four strikeouts, while allowing one walk and two hits. She then was called upon in the finale of Saturday’s action as she found redemption against the Cougars.
Even though she got into trouble late and was taken out one out in the seventh inning, Adair found her 19 win of the season.
She really relied on the defense behind her to help her out as she had 12 fly outs and seven ground out in the game. Adair recorded zero walks and zero strikeouts in the outing. She did however give up six runs and eight hits to end her night.
Smith came in to get the final two outs of the game and was successful as she only gave up the home run to Lujan.
Smith was the starting pitcher in the first game of the afternoon against CCU. She pitched two and one third innings before redshirt sophomore pitcher Shea Mauser came into the game. Smith ended the game with giving up five hits, three earned runs and striking out two.
Mauser gave up five hits while no runs crossed the plate and walked two as well.
CMU had four players on the all tournament team. Staudle, Adair, Wedman, Sharp and Smith all made the squad while Roope, Sydney Rawlings and Sydney Reamer all made the team representing CCU.
Staudle was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament as she came up big for the Mavericks Saturday. She had five hits in the afternoon as well as four RBIs.
“I am truly speechless. I was not expecting that I am always just focusing on playing with the team and every one bounces off of eachother so I am still just in shock right now,” Staudle said.
The Mavericks will now advance with an automatic berth into the Division Two softball tournament. They will play in the NCAA south central regional tournament starting May 19 in Commerce, Tex.
