CSUP 16, FLC 1
CSUP 7, FLC 3

DURANGO, Colo. — Colorado State-Pueblo pitchers Shannon Traxinger and Justine Bosio held Fort Lewis to just seven hits today to sweep a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference softball doubleheader from the Skyhawks at Aspen Field, 16-1 and 7-3.

The ThunderWolves (16-8 overall, 14-6 in the RMAC) never trailed during either game and won the opener in five innings.

CSU-Pueblo exploded for five runs in the second inning and nine in the third to take charge of the opener, staking Traxinger (2-4) to a big lead that she never relinquished. Fort Lewis managed just three hits off Traxinger less than 24 hours after nearly being no-hit on Saturday by Bosio. FLC's Cierra Walters broke up the shutout in the bottom of the fifth when she jacked a solo shot to left field — her fourth four-bagger of the year. Singles by Myndee Thompson and Natalie Janes marked FLC's only other hits.

Brittany Styger went 3-for-4 with six RBI and smashed a grand slam to left in the nine-run third to lead CSUP. Bosio went 2-for-4 with four RBI, including a two-run homer in the seventh.

Skyhawk starter Kassie Haubert (6-4) lasted just two innings, surrendering five runs on eight hits while striking out three. Reliever Stephanie Janes, who shut down CSUP yesterday and earned a victory in relief, was roughed up in her one inning of work, allowing nine runs on seven hits and four walks in the third. Katie Watkins was effective in her two innings in the circle, yielding just two runs (on Bosio's home run) and two hits.

To add injury to insult, FLC's Chelsea Rodriguez was struck with a line drive foul ball in the dugout in the fifth inning of the opener. The sophomore third baseman who ranks among the nation's leaders in nearly every offensive category was injured and didn't play in game two.

Fort Lewis couldn't solve Bosio yesterday, and the CSUP hurler helped herself out at the plate in the first frame of today's nightcap when she hit her sixth tater of the year, driving in two.

The Skyhawks rallied, though, in the second, when Natalie Janes doubled and Hayley Bolyard singled, setting the table for first baseman Breanna Berens. The lefty smashed the first long ball of her collegiate career over the fence in left center to knot the score at 3-3.

The lead was short-lived, though. Samantha Rios homered to center in the top of the third to give the ThunderWolves the lead for good. CSUP scratched out another run in the fifth and two more in the seventh to add insurance.

Bosio (9-2) was efficient after Berens' second-inning bomb. The only runner to reach against her in the final five frames was Thompson, who walked in the third but was promptly doubled up on a line drive to second by Kamali'i Peneku. Bosio retired FLC's final 13 batters in order. For the game, she allowed just four hits and a walk while striking out three.

FLC's Olivia Bergman (2-4) turned in another hard-luck effort, yielding nine hits and seven runs while striking out one.

After rallying for a 7-6 win in the series opener, the Skyhawks (18-15, 16-8) were briefly in first place in the RMAC standings. Instead, the ThunderWolves leapt over FLC and drew even with Colorado Christian (18-15, 14-6) atop the league standings. CCU, a first-year team that has surprised the rest of the conference as much as the Skyhawks, dropped three of four at fourth-place Colorado Mesa (17-11, 15-9).

The Skyhawks hope to rebound next weekend when they travel south to Silver City, N.M., for a four-game set at Western New Mexico (12-25, 7-17). Games are slated for noon and 2 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday.