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Fort Lewis College Athletics

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Dana Dwyer
Max DeHerrera/Sports Fanatic Photography

Softball Brian Kortz

Softball to Host MSU Denver this Saturday and Sunday at Aspen Field

DURANGO, Colo. – It's a big home weekend for the Fort Lewis College softball team as they look to continue the momentum from taking three of four from New Mexico Highlands into the games this weekend against MSU Denver. The Skyhawks sit just percentage points back of the eighth and final RMAC Tournament spot with three weekends to play. FLC will play doubleheaders both days starting at noon on Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. Fans, make sure you are in attendance all four games for your chance to possibly win $25,000! It's easy, all you have to do is be in attendance, register to win, cheer on the Skyhawks and then if a Skyhawks player hits a home run during the game on the fly through the target, you could win!

FLC is just percentage points back of the eighth spot in the RMAC currently occupied by Black Hills State at 7-14 (.333). CSU-Pueblo is ninth at 8-18 (.308) and then FLC at 8-20 is tied with New Mexico Highlands at 6-15, as both teams have a .286 conference winning percentage. Since every team in the conference has played a different amount of RMAC games this season, it will come down to percentage points for which team will get the final tournament spot. There is also still an outside shot at the seventh seed which is currently held by Regis at 9-14 with a .391 percentage.

Angelique Elemen leads the team in average (.437), hits (55), tied for the doubles lead (13), home runs (13), RBI (34), slugging percentage (.849), total bases (107), runs scored (37), walks (19), on-base percentage (.517) and is tied for second on the team in steals with four. Taylor Hollestelle nearly caught Elemen in RBI after a big weekend in which she drove in 10 against the Cowgirls, she now has 32 RBI on the season, along with .374 average, 52 hits, 36 runs scored, 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 88 total bases and leads the team in steals with six. McKenna Hefley is right behind with a .372 average along with 42 hits, 30 runs scored, tied for the doubles lead with 13, a triple, five home runs and 30 RBI. Sister Kylie Hefley has a .311 average with 28 hits, seven doubles, five home runs and 23 RBI. Pilar Gutierrez adds a .314 average with 37 hits, four doubles, two home runs and 16 RBI. Hannah Gondini with a .316 average and Taylor Beaman at .303 give the Skyhawks seven players hitting over .300.

In the circle, Emily Morris leads the way with a 5.41 ERA in 76.1 innings pitched, to go along with six wins and 73 strikeouts. Kassidy Trumbo holds a 5.74 ERA in 81.2 innings worked and has three wins on the season. Kelly Decker, Dana Dwyer, Mackenzie Parks and Mandy Lorenson all have a win in the circle this season. Decker is third on the team in innings pitched at 50.1.

FLC ranks in the top-five in the RMAC and top-100 nationally in several categories including fifth in the RMAC and 92nd nationally in batting average (.299), sixth in the RMAC and 67th nationally in doubles per game (1.54), third in the RMAC and 24th nationally in home runs per game (0.95), fourth in the RMAC and 51st nationally in scoring (5.61), third in the RMAC and 47th nationally in slugging percentage (.473).

Individually, Elemen is first in the RMAC in multiple categories including hits (55), 15th nationally, home runs (13), fifth nationally and in total bases (107), third nationally. She is second in the RMAC in slugging percentage (.849), 14th nationally, third in the RMAC and 22nd nationally in home runs per game (0.32), third in the RMAC and 51st nationally in on-base percentage (.517), fourth in the RMAC and 54th nationally in batting average (.437) and 10th in the RMAC in runs per game (0.90). McKenna Hefley is seventh in the RMAC and 27th nationally in doubles (13). Hollestelle is third in the RMAC and 25th nationally in hits (52), fourth in the RMAC and 26th nationally in total bases (88), 80th nationally in doubles (11) and 10th in the RMAC and 100th nationally in home runs (7). Morris is third in the RMAC and 46th nationally in saves (2), second in the RMAC and 74th nationally in strikeouts per seven innings (6.7). Gutierrez is sixth in the RMAC and 81st nationally in toughest to strikeout. Head Coach Elle Fracker is closing in on 100 career victories, currently sitting at 96.

This past weekend, after dropping the first game to New Mexico Highlands, the Skyhawks outscored the Cowgirls 37-9 to take the final three games of the series. FLC is now 13-28 overall and 8-20 in RMAC play, holding a 3-5 record in "home" games that includes games also played in Alamosa and Aztec. The Skyhawks are 1-1 at Aspen Field this season.

Elemen remains the program leader in home runs after adding another one this past weekend she moves her career total to 53. She also collected three RBI this week to extend her program record to 176. Elemen is within three home runs of tying for second in RMAC history and moved to eighth in RMAC history in RBI, sitting just three away from seventh, nine away from sixth and 12 away from breaking into the top-five. She also increased her program record in total bases which now stands at 427. Elemen also hit two more doubles to increase her program record to 47. She is just three doubles away from breaking into the top-10 in RMAC history. Elemen is closing in on the program record for hits, currently at 220 which leaves her just four away from tying Missy Fundora for the top spot in program history. Other numbers include 120 runs scored, 682 putouts and 63 walks leaving her fourth in program history in runs scored, third in putouts and tied for sixth in walks, one back of fourth.

MSU Denver is 19-22 on the season and 14-10 in RMAC play, holding a 3-2 record away from home in true road contests and a 6-5 mark in neutral site games. This past weekend, the Roadrunners split a four-game RMAC pod against Black Hills State and Dixie State, going 1-1 against both teams. On Tuesday, they traveled up the road to Greeley to face Division I Northern Colorado and fell just short, 5-7.

Last year, MSU Denver won all four games in Denver, taking the first two 5-0 and 8-0 and then the final two were close holding on for 8-6 and 8-4 wins. The Roadrunners took all four games when the teams played in Aztec during the 2017 season. After not playing in the 2016 season due to weather, FLC last won against the Roadrunners in 2015, winning the second game of the series in Durango.

Rebecca Gonzales leads the team with a .398 average, along with 16 doubles and 26 RBI. She has 10 stolen bases this year. Darby McGhee is hitting .374 with four home runs and 34 RBI, JJ Sheppard is at .361 with 30 hits and Laney Sheppard is hitting over. 300, currently at .308 and has six homers and 20 RBI. Ashlee Kim leads the team with 12 stolen bases and is hitting .276.

In the circle, McGhee and Julia Heitz have logged the most time with McGhee tossing 120.1 innings and is 8-9 with a 2.50 ERA, while Heitz has thrown 85 innings and is 6-5 with a 4.12 ERA.

A look around the RMAC outside of the battle for the eighth position has Colorado Mesa leading with a 24-3 record, followed by Colorado Christian in second at 20-4 and Colorado School of Mines in third at 19-6. Dixie State is fourth at 20-8, MSU Denver is fifth at 14-10, UCCS is sixth at 14-13 and Regis is seventh at 9-14.

Live video and stats will be available for all four games.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Taylor Beaman

#17 Taylor Beaman

C/UT
5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R
Kelly Decker

#11 Kelly Decker

P
5' 8"
Junior
R/R
Angelique Elemen

#27 Angelique Elemen

UT
5' 7"
Senior
R/R
Pilar Gutierrez

#9 Pilar Gutierrez

SB
5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
Kylie Hefley

#23 Kylie Hefley

OF
5' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
McKenna Hefley

#3 McKenna Hefley

C/UT
5' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Mandy Lorenson

#1 Mandy Lorenson

P
5' 6"
Junior
R/R
Kassidy Trumbo

#18 Kassidy Trumbo

P
5' 11"
Sophomore
L/L
Dana Dwyer

#21 Dana Dwyer

P/1B
5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
Hannah Gondini

#8 Hannah Gondini

OF
5' 4"
Sophomore
L/R

Players Mentioned

Taylor Beaman

#17 Taylor Beaman

5' 8"
Sophomore
R/R
C/UT
Kelly Decker

#11 Kelly Decker

5' 8"
Junior
R/R
P
Angelique Elemen

#27 Angelique Elemen

5' 7"
Senior
R/R
UT
Pilar Gutierrez

#9 Pilar Gutierrez

5' 7"
Sophomore
R/R
SB
Kylie Hefley

#23 Kylie Hefley

5' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
OF
McKenna Hefley

#3 McKenna Hefley

5' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
C/UT
Mandy Lorenson

#1 Mandy Lorenson

5' 6"
Junior
R/R
P
Kassidy Trumbo

#18 Kassidy Trumbo

5' 11"
Sophomore
L/L
P
Dana Dwyer

#21 Dana Dwyer

5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
P/1B
Hannah Gondini

#8 Hannah Gondini

5' 4"
Sophomore
L/R
OF