by Andrew Kiser
Colorado Mesa University softball coach Ben Garcia does not want to sound cocky.
However, he knows if his team is going to return to the national championship game they have to beat the teams they are supposed to beat. While finding a way to win against the teams they are not supposed to beat.
For the Mavericks, they had to show they are potential title contenders by playing in the Dixie State Tournament in St. George, Utah, where they faced off against the University of Hawaii at Hilo Vulcans, the Concordia University Irvine Eagles and the California Baptist University Lancers.
The Mavs had comeback wins against the Vulcans and the Lancers, but lost their first game of the season against the Eagles.
Even though, the Mavs lost to the Eagles, Garcia liked how his team responded against the Lancers.
“I’m glad they turned it around and beat an even better team,” Garcia said. “We scored runs when we needed to and [the Lancers] are a very good hitting team.”
In the first game of the tournament, CMU found themselves in a deep hole early. The Vulcans scored in the first inning with a two run RBI single. The Mavs then scored a run in the second inning, but the Vulcans scored two more runs to increase their lead to 4-1.
The Mavs cut into the lead with a two run double by Brooke Hodgson in the top of the third inning to make the score, 4-3. However, in the bottom of the third the Vulcans hit a solo home run for the score to be 5-3.
The Mavs’ bats were quiet the next three innings, but in the top of the seventh inning, the Mavs found their hitting stroke. The Mavs tied the game with a RBI double by Baylee Boren and a RBI single by AnnMarie Torres.
Hodgson then gave the Mavs the lead with a RBI groundout for her third RBI of the game. In the bottom of the seventh Mavs pitcher McKenzie Surface struckout the final three Vulcans batters for the win. CMU won the game, 6-5.
The next day, the Mavs played a doubleheader starting with the Eagles. The first three innings were scoreless before the Mavs scored two runs with a two run double by Jessica Boruff in the top of the fourth. The Eagles responded by scoring a run at the bottom of the fourth.
In the fifth inning, the Mavs and Eagles both scored a run for the score to be 3-2. After the Mavs were held scoreless at the top of the sixth inning, the Eagles scored two runs from two errors committed by the Mavs’ infield.
The Eagles were able to hold off the Mavs in the seventh inning and win the game 4-3.
“It is a tough loss because we really beat ourselves in that game,” Garcia said. “We made mistakes that are uncharacteristic of what we are wanting to do.”
The Mavs then played against the Lancers. CMU scored two runs in the first inning thanks to a RBI fielder’s choice from Hodgson and a RBI double by Zoe Pakes. The Lancers then hit a solo home run to cut into the lead.
However, the Mavs’ scored a run from a fielder’s choice from Pakes. The Lancers were able to score runs in the fourth and fifth inning to tie the game.
But once again Pakes had an answer for the Lancers. Pakes hit a go ahead RBI single at the bottom of the fifth to break the tie. CMU won the game, 4-3.
“We played better defense in the second game,” Garcia said. “Bailey Kleespies played third base and made some outstanding plays. Kellie Mrofcza played second base and made some key plays as well.”
CMU was also scheduled to play against St. Edwards University and Western Washington University in the tournament on Saturday, but both games were cancelled due to rain.
The Mavs then played a doubleheader against the Dixie State University Bison on Sunday. CMU dropped the first game, 12-4.
In the second game, CMU had a six run first inning to take an early lead. The highlights of the inning were a three run double by Kleespies followed by a two run home run from Abby Toller.
The Bison then scored two runs in the third inning and then three runs in the fourth. The Bison had a chance in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning to tie or take the lead, but failed.
Dixie State left a total of six players on base including having bases loaded with two outs in the sixth inning. The Mavs held on to win the game 6-5.
Surface got the win, pitching a complete game allowing five run, four earned while striking out five. CMU had only three hits in the game, all occurring in the first inning.
The team is now 8-2 for the season. The Mavs next game will against Chadron State College at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25. The Mavs first home game of the season will be against Adams State at 4 p.m. on March 4.
