Back-to-back homeruns, a grand slam by Makayla Kovac and an inside-the-park-homer by Sarah Phillis on Friday and Saturday helped the CMU softball team win the RMAC regular season title.

After wining the final home series against CCU three games to one, the Mavs needed CSU-Pueblo to lose at least one game against Metro State on Sunday. CSU-Pueblo lost the final regular season game of the year, giving the Mavs claim to host the RMAC Tournament.

“We are so excited to be regular season champs,” senior pitcher Ashley Pulido said after watching the live stat results of the CSU-Pueblo loss. “It was so nerve-wracking waiting and watching online. We were nervous the games wouldn’t even be played because of weather, which would have given Pueblo first place.”

Winning the regular season title assures that CMU will host the entire RMAC tournament, which Pulido said was vital for the Mavs.

“Having home field through the whole tournament is huge for us. We’ll have the last chance to score, which is important because we’ve won in the last inning several times already,” Pulido said.

Pulido said the team wouldn’t have lost any confidence if it hadn’t clinched first place and hosting rights.

“The RMAC is always up in the air, and these teams are good, but we know we’ll win if we play our game,” Pulido said.

Coach Abrams told the team after its series win over Colorado Christian to just wait for the results of the Metro State and Pueblo series and to be ready to host or travel.

Makayla Kovac hit two homeruns with six RBI in game one against CCU, including a game-tying grand slam. Game two featured scoring plays on five doubles and two homeruns, while Ashley Pulido put seven consecutive batters to rest as CMU dominated 13-1.

The Mavs needed another win in game four, and Phillis’ inside-the-park-homer kept CMU’s regular season title hopes alive. Phillis hit what should have been a routine double that would have scored just one run, but as the ball bounced past second base, it slid under the center-fielder’s glove. As Phillis ran toward third, she got the green light signal to head home, clinching the series win for the Mavs.

“Everyone in the dugout just kind of looked at each other for a second, then we went crazy,” Pulido said. “We were down three runs with two outs, then Sarah’s hit ended up bringing in all the runners. It was amazing.”

The Mavs will play No. 8 seed Fort Lewis in the first round of the RMAC tournament, which starts Thursday on Bergman Field.

scschroc@mavs.coloradomesa.edu