On Saturday the Colorado Mesa University softball team had another two games in Utah, and they were closer than any of the others had been.
The first game was against Concordia University Irvine (CUI) and the second was against Cal Baptist University (CBU). The first matchup was a very close 3-2 win for the Mavericks while the second was also a close game at 7-5 against Cal Baptist.
The game against CUI started slowly and there weren’t any points on the board for CMU until the second inning. In the bottom of the second CUI had struck first with a home run, to which CMU responded with two homers of their own: One by AnnMarie Torres in the second and then Zoe Pakes with hers in the third.
The field was quiet for the next three innings. Neither team was letting the other gain any ground, with no errors on either side the game was at a stalemate. That is until Maggie Manwarren hit a double, sending Abby Toller around the bases to allow the Mavericks to get the 3-1 advantage.
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CUI managed to sneak in one more run before the game was over, but it was to no avail as it was not enough to overcome the lead set by the Mavs. In this game of five total runs, the game was won in the defense that the girls showed. With no errors and only two runs allowed, partnered with McKenzie Surface’s ten strikeouts, is what kept the game in CMU’s grasp.
“Concordia Irvine, I think will be one of the top teams, was a very good battle,” Head Coach Ben Garcia said. “It was a really tight game throughout.”
The second game, against Cal Baptist, saw a slightly higher score and a less nail-biting separation as CMU was able to perform in the same manner they did in the two previous days.
The game started off a little rough, as CBU managed to get an unopposed three-point lead with two homers in the first two innings. However, this only lasted till the fourth inning when the Mavs started to mount their comeback.
AnnMarie Torres spurred the revival with a double that achieved an RBI. Then Kellie Mrofcza stole second and during the fiasco, Alexa Samuels managed to score. Mrofcza wasn’t done though as she scored on a passed ball to bring the score to an even 3-3.
“We’ve had a couple folks that have stolen big, big bases and we’ve been able to get some runs after them,” Coach Garcia said. “They have the championship-caliber quality.”
In the fifth, Brook Hodgson scored on a wild pitch. Then in the seventh, with the score at 4-3 CMU, AnnMarie Torres hit a double, knocking in two runs and completing the Mavericks come back and giving CMU a 6-3 lead. Torres then scored on a wild pitch to round out the game and sending the Mavs to seven points, where they would win over CBU by two points.
With only five hits, the girls still managed to get seven runs over CBU, who with seven hits only accomplished five runs, mirroring the Mavs offensive performance. With yet again zero errors, the defense was strong and McKenzie Surface got another two strikeouts, making it 12 for the entire day.
Now with a 10-0 winning streak, the Mavericks get to come home and play two home games against Chadron State College, during which they are hoping for a chance to redeem themselves after a couple of losses against Chadron State in the last season.
“We are not only excited to play at home, but at the chance to play Chadron again,” Coach Garcia said.
CMU will look to keep giving strong performances and become a complete team when they return home to play the first home game against Chadron State on Feb. 24.
