MSCD 10, FLC 7
MSCD 7, FLC 0

DURANGO, Colo. — At the end of the day, crows circled around the Fort Lewis College community softball complex waiting to tear into the scraps left behind after the FLC softball parents hosted an Easter dinner with all the trimmings for the Skyhawks and their supporters.

Earlier in the day, though, it was a bunch of pesky Roadrunners that spoiled Senior Day for Natalie and Stephanie Janes and Jordan Willis, who were appearing in the final home games of their four-year careers at Aspen Field. Metro State (19-23 overall, 16-14 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) swept Fort Lewis (22-19, 20-12) 10-7 and 7-0.

“The three seniors have been instrumental in shaping what this program has become,” said second-year FLC head coach Kira Zeiter. “All three have shown how to be a student-athlete and how important performance is – not just as important, but more important than athletic performance.

“Natalie has become a leader on campus and someone that the entire school has rallied behind,” she said of the elder Janes (by mere minutes), who is FLC's student body president. “She has become a consistent performer in the field and a clutch performer at the plate with power.

“Stephanie has really come alive with her bat this year and is one of the most feared batters in the RMAC,” she said of the other Janes twin. “She is a leader on the field and off, and is a great example for the younger players on the team.

“Jordan is one of the best shortstops in the RMAC,” she said of Willis. “She makes the difficult plays look easy and is the player that the entire team rallies behind.

“We will miss these three players in the years to come, but will always be grateful for what they have brought to the program,” she concluded.

The trio and their families were honored in a ceremony between games.

Metro State jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first three innings of the opener, thanks in large part to a scrappy second frame that saw them push across three runs on three well-placed singles and a walk.

Fort Lewis fought back in the third with the long ball. Destinee DeHererra hit a solo bomb and Stephanie Janes blasted a two-run shot to cut the lead to 4-3.

Skyhawk starter Alexis Villegas (6-5) settled down and held the Roadrunners scoreless the next two innings, but Metro State's Aubree Maul (13-7) was equal to the task, allowing just one baserunner in the fourth and fifth frames.

Zeiter turned to the bullpen and reliever Katie Watkins in the sixth, but the move backfired. Watkins surrendered five runs on four hits, including a three-run round-tripper by Kelsey Tillery (her 20th homer of the year). After Tillery's blast, Villegas reentered the game at pitcher and worked another strong 1.2 innings, but the damage was done.

Fort Lewis mounted a comeback in the seventh, belting four hits including a three-run homer by Natalie Janes, but the seven-run lead proved too much to overcome.

Each of the Janes twins drove in three runs for the Skyhawks, with Stephanie going 2-for-4 and Natalie 1-for-3.

Molly Clark went 3-for-4 for the Roadrunners in the opener.

Maul struck out five to earn her second victory in as many days against FLC.

The nightcap was all Metro. Jordyn Randolph (5-9) was nearly unhittable, allowing just two hits. Hayley Bolyard broke up Randolph's no-hit bid with a single through the left side in the fifth, while Natalie Janes notched the only other hit with a single up the middle past a diving MSCD shortstop Susie Oury in the seventh.

Chelsea Brew and Kasey Nichols each mashed taters of their own to provide the only offense the Roadrunners would need in the nightcap. Brew's solo shot in the second proved to be the game-winner, while Nichols' two-run shot in the fifth capped a five-run inning that was aided by a pair of errors from DeHerrera.

Fort Lewis' Kassie Haubert (8-5) pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits and seven runs while striking out four.

Although Willis failed to register a hit on the day, she was perfect in the field, recording four putouts and six assists with no errors.

By losing the four-game series against Metro State, the Skyhawks may have squandered their chances to host the RMAC playoffs at the end of the month. Fort Lewis entered the weekend in first place in league standings, but now finds itself in a second place tie with Colorado Mesa with identical 20-12 league records. Colorado State-Pueblo (20-10) is level with the Skyhawks and Mavs in the win column, but has two fewer losses.

If Fort Lewis is to challenge for its first-ever RMAC regular season crown (the Skyhawks won the RMAC tournament in 2008 for their only softball championship), it will have to win on the road. Fort Lewis travels to New Mexico Highlands (20-24, 14-18) next weekend and Nebraska-Kearney (19-17, 16-12) the following weekend to close out the regular season. The road has proven friendly to FLC this year, as FLC is 11-3 in RMAC games away from the Four Corners.