By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s softball season came to an end Friday with all three league sides falling in NCAA Division II Softball Championship regional action in Texas.
In the Canyon, Texas regional hosted by West Texas A&M, Colorado Mesa bounced back from an opening-round loss against Angelo State to topple Lubbock Christian in 10 innings but found Angelo State awaiting them again and fell to the Rambelles 1-0 in the day’s final game.
Over in Tyler, Texas, the regional hosted by UT Tyler, Colorado Christian faced UT Tyler in a winner’s bracket contest, falling to the hosts 7-1. MSU Denver, which fell to UT Tyler in the opening round, saw its season come to an end with a 4-1 loss to Oklahoma Christian. CCU then fell to OCU 4-1 in the next game to wrap up the day’s action.
Canyon, Texas Regional
Thursday, May 8
#3 Angelo State def. #6 Colorado Mesa, 1-0
Friday, May 9
#3 Angelo State def. #6 Colorado Mesa, 3-2
#6 Colorado Mesa def. #7 Lubbock Christian, 3-1 (10 inn.)
Angelo State def. Colorado Mesa, 1-0
CANYON, Texas – Layonna Applin’s RBI single in the sixth proved enough to end Colorado Mesa’s season as it fell 1-0 in an elimination game of the NCAA Division II Softball Championships regional hosted by West Texas A&M on Friday. Ally Distler’s fourth-inning single was the Mavericks’ lone hit of the contest as they could not solve Angelo State starting pitcher Amelia Hatthorn, who tossed a shutout while facing 23 batters – two over the minimum – with one walk and one hit.
Colorado Mesa def. Lubbock Christian, 3-1 (10 inn.)
CANYON, Texas – Olivia Litzen’s two-run single in the 10th inning catapulted Colorado Mesa to a 3-1 victory against Lubbock Christian in an elimination game of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship’s regional hosted by West Texas A&M on Friday. Litzen, who tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, was responsible for all three CMU runs against LCU. In the 10th, the Mavericks got a walk and a single with one out, and Litzen delivered the eventual game-winning single with two outs in the frame. The winning rally followed a stellar defensive stand by the Mavericks, who cut down the potential walk-off run at home in the ninth inning on a throw from left field by Makayla Westmoreland. Litzen went 2-for-4 with three RBI to pace the Mavericks' offense. Preslee Christensen tossed two innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win in relief of starting pitcher Jessalyn Gallegos, who allowed one run on nine hits over the first eight innings.
Angelo State def. Colorado Mesa, 3-2
CANYON, Texas – Colorado Mesa scored the game’s first two runs, but Angelo State rallied for three runs in the fourth inning and held on for a 3-2 victory in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship’s regional hosted by West Texas A&M on Thursday. The Mavericks got on the board first on Myah Arrieta’s RBI single in the third inning, then extended their lead with Ally Distler’s leadoff home run in the fourth. But Angelo State saw its first four batters in the fourth reach base, Averie Gunther doubled in a run, and Lauren De La Cruz singled in a pair of runs as part of the inning-opening rally. Colorado Mesa loaded the bases in the seventh, but Angelo State escaped the jam with a strikeout to end the game. Distler went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored to lead the Mavericks.
Canyon, Texas Regional
Thursday, May 8
#1 UT Tyler def. #8 MSU Denver, 4-1
#5 Colorado Christian def. #4 Oklahoma Christian, 3-1
Friday, May 9
#1 UT Tyler def. #5 Colorado Christian, 7-1
#4 Oklahoma Christian def. #8 MSU Denver, 4-1
#4 Oklahoma Christian def. #5 Colorado Christian, 4-1
Oklahoma Christian def. Colorado Christian, 4-1
TYLER, Texas –Oklahoma Christian scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to down Colorado Christian, 4-1, in an elimination game of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship’s regional hosted by UT Tyler on Friday. With the game tied 1-1 in the sixth, OCU got a leadoff home run to take the lead, then got back-to-back run-scoring base hits with two out to build its 4-1 advantage. Elyse McMullin was 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead CCU’s five-hit attack, and Danae Lopez tied the game with an RBI double in the third inning.
Oklahoma Christian def. MSU Denver, 4-1
TYLER, Texas – Oklahoma Christian scored two runs in the sixth and seventh innings to defeat MSU Denver, 4-1 in an elimination game of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship’s regional hosted by UT Tyler on Friday. Pinch hitter Brooklyn Enny got the Roadrunners on the scoreboard first when her one-out single capped a fourth-inning rally started with a leadoff walk and a single. However, MSU Denver's chances to advance were undone by errors in the sixth and seventh innings that led to three unearned runs. Adriana Bueno went 2-for-3 to lead the Roadrunners’ five-hit outing.
UT Tyler def. Colorado Christian, 7-1
TYLER, Texas – Colorado Christian scored in the top of the seventh inning but could not overcome an early deficit and fell in a winner’s bracket game of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship’s regional hosted by UT Tyler on Friday. The host Patriots scored a run in the first inning, then rallied for a run in the fourth, two in the fifth, and three more in the sixth to build a 7-0 lead. Colorado Christian finished with five hits, but only strung together two or more hits in the seventh inning when they got a leadoff single from Hanna Espinoza before Camryn Quilling and Kat Hanson hit back-to-back singles to drive in pinch runner Leah Garcia. McMullin went 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead the Cougars' offense.
Colorado Christian def. Oklahoma Christian, 3-1
TYLER, Texas – Colorado Christian struck for three runs in the fourth inning and topped Oklahoma Christian, 3-1, in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship’s regional hosted by UT Tyler on Thursday. Oklahoma Christian scored in the bottom of the third only to see the Cougars respond with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Camryn Quilling tied the game with an RBI single that saw her end up on third base, which proved fortunate as she scored on a wild pitch moments later. Kat Hanson then doubled and scored on Mia Stankiewi’s single to provide a 3-1 CCU lead. Six different Cougars recorded a base hit in the win. Emma Duncan picked up the win after holding OCU to one run on four hits in 6.2 innings, while Hanna Espinoza recorded the final out to notch the save.
UT Tyler def. MSU Denver, 4-1
TYLER, Texas – Host UT Tyler scored in the first, second, fifth, and sixth innings to down MSU Denver 4-1 in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship regional hosted by UT Tyler on Thursday. The Patriots built a 2-0 lead before MSU Denver responded in the third thanks to Alexia Boring’s RBI double. But the Roadrunners could not solve reliever Primrose Aholelei who allowed just two walks over the 15 batters she faced in the final 4.1 innings.