FLC 8, UCCS 0 (5)
FLC 6, UCCS 5

FARMINGTON, N.M. — Olivia Bergman pitched a five-hit shutout in the opener and Stephanie Janes stymied a late-inning rally in the nightcap as Fort Lewis (13-10 overall, 11-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) swept UC-Colorado Springs (8-8, 6-6) today at Rickets Field #3, winning 8-0 and 6-5.

Bergman (2-2) allowed just five singles in the opener and struck out a pair of Mountain Lion batters.

“Olivia pitched a fantastic game, using all of her pitches and mixing speeds,” said second-year FLC head coach Kira Zeiter, whose Skyhawks sit alone atop the RMAC standings at 11-3. “As a team, we had enough consistent hitting throughout the lineup to back her up.”

Third baseman Chelsea Rodriguez's two-run, line-drive homer to center in the first was all the offense the Skyhawks would need in the game one, staking her team to a quick, 2-0 lead. The blast was C-Rod's team-leading eighth of the season.

Fort Lewis scattered nine hits against USCS starter Jessica Belsterling (6-4) and benefitted from four Mountain Lion errors, three walks, and a hit batter.

Leftfielder Cierra Walters went 3-for-4 for FLC with a run batted in. Bergman helped herself at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI.

The eight-run rule ended the game in the bottom of the fifth when a throwing error by UCCS' Emily Jennings plated FLC's seventh and eight runs.

The nightcap started smooth enough for the Skyhawks. Walters led off with her second home run of the week when she drove the second pitch she saw over the centerfield fence. Thanks to timely hitting and costly UCCS errors, the Skyhawks built a 6-0 lead through four.

Then things started to go south for the Skyhawks. After retiring the first batter, FLC starter Alexis Villegas allowed a single to Marissa Wallace. The next batter, Landry Davis, grounded to third, but Rodriguez's throw to first went in the dirt, allowing her to reach on a throwing error. A Jennifer Schellenberg single to center plated the Mountain Lions' first run of the day. The ball went under the glove of Skyhawk centerfielder Kaitlyn Bending, moving two more runs into scoring position. After a pop-up, Lara Mathewson hit a two-run double off the fence in right center to trim the lead to 6-3.

After Fort Lewis was retired in order in the bottom of the fifth, UCCS cut the lead to 6-4 on a solo homer to left by Jennings. Villegas (4-3) allowed a single and a walk to the next two batters before being lifted for Janes. She retired both batters she faced in the frame to work out of the jam.

Fort Lewis had a chance to add some insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, but left the bases loaded.

The Mountain Lions mixed two singles with two outs to start the seventh. Christina Blanton doubled to left center to pull UCCS to within one and put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Janes got Erin Milburn to pop up to Hayley Bolyard, but the Skyhawk catcher misplayed the foul ball and gave UCCS new life. Lightning struck twice, though, as Milburn again popped up to  Bolyard. The second time, the FLC backstop corralled the foul ball for the final out.

Villegas allowed seven hits and four runs (two earned) in five innings to earn the victory. Janes recorded her first save of the season by allowing three hits and one run in two innings of relief. Both Skyhawk pitchers struck out one.

Korey Kulpins (2-4) allowed eight hits and six runs (three earned) in six innings. The five errors committed behind her certainly factored in the losing decision.

“We'd like to cut down on the runners left on base,” Zeiter said of the second game, in which Fort Lewis stranded seven runners. “But we were able to put enough runs across in the early innings and then hold UCCS in the seventh to come away with the win.”

Destinee DeHerrera was the lone Skyhawk with multiple hits in game two, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Blanton, Schellenberg, and Wallace each had two hits for UCCS, which outhit the Skyhawks 10-8 in the second game.

Fort Lewis concludes its six-game homestand at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday with a doubleheader against Colorado Mesa (8-6, 10-8). Fort Lewis swept the Mavs last Wednesday in Grand Junction 18-15 and 10-9, rallying in the top of the seventh in each game.

The Skyhawks have opened RMAC play winning their first four series, something that had never been done before in school history. In fact, FLC had never started its league slate with more than a single series win. Fort Lewis went 3-1 against Black Hills State, Adams State, and UCCS, and swept the two-game set against Colorado Mesa to grab the early lead in the league standings.

After playing its first two home series an hour south of Durango in Farmington, the Skyhawks expect to face Colorado Mesa at Aspen Field on the FLC campus. This weekend's high temperatures and strong winds melted the remaining snowpack in the outfield and began to dry the infield.