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Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Brianna Leavell 3.1
David Wilson, FLC Athletics
FLC freshman Brianna Leavell hit the go-ahead, 2-run home run in Sunday's Game Four win over Colorado School of Mines (File Photo).
7
Winner Fort Lewis FLCSB 8-9, 5-2 RMAC
6
Colo. Sch. of Mines CSM 7-9, 4-3 RMAC
Winner
Fort Lewis FLCSB
8-9, 5-2 RMAC
7
Final
6
Colo. Sch. of Mines CSM
7-9, 4-3 RMAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Fort Lewis FLCSB 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 1 2 7 11 1
Colo. Sch. of Mines CSM 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 6 15 5

W: Keahbone, Kendra (1-0) L: Lauren Decker (0-2) S: Lorenson, Mandy (1)

6
Winner Fort Lewis FLCSB 9-9, 4-4 RMAC
4
Colo. Sch. of Mines CSM 7-10, 6-2 RMAC
Winner
Fort Lewis FLCSB
9-9, 4-4 RMAC
6
Final
4
Colo. Sch. of Mines CSM
7-10, 6-2 RMAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Fort Lewis FLCSB 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 6 10 4
Colo. Sch. of Mines CSM 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 4 7 1

W: Lorenson, Mandy (2-3) L: Kylie Redding (2-1)

Game Recap: Softball | | David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

FLC softball sweeps Sunday doubleheader, earn first series win over Orediggers since 2015

GOLDEN, Colorado — The Fort Lewis College softball team produced not one, but two late-inning rallies on Sunday to sweep its road doubleheader against Colorado School of Mines, securing a 3-1 series victory and the first series win against the Orediggers since 2015.

Fort Lewis began the day with a 7-6 victory in extra innings, producing two runs in the top of the ninth inning, before closing out the afternoon with a thrilling 6-4 win in Game Four that saw the Skyhawks tally four runs in the top of the seventh to complete their comeback.

The Skyhawks (9-9 overall, 6-2 RMAC) scored 12 runs in the seventh inning or later during the series en route to snapping the Orediggers (7-10 overall, 4-4 RMAC) string of nine victories in the last 10 matchups versus FLC.

"I think we've figured out how to win. Earlier in the season, that's what we were lacking; we weren't quite sure how to win games and we played like we were trying not to lose," said FLC head coach, Ashley Reeves. "The girls never gave up, they fought through every pitch and every inning."

It would be a pair of freshmen who helped lead the charge back in Game Four as super utility Sloan Shotton drilled her third home run of the season, an opposite field shot in the sixth, to bring the Skyhawks' within two at 4-2 entering the seventh.

"Sloan struggled Day One, but came out today a completely different player and came up huge for us," said Reeves of Shotton, who collected four hits between the two games Sunday. "It was nice to see her make adjustments and come into the batter's box the hitter we know she can be."

With one out in the seventh, junior infielder McKenna Hefley also went opposite field to the right-center gap, scoring fellow junior Pilar Gutierrez all the way from first base.

After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Hefley was able to jog home when freshman Brianna Leavell launched her third home run of the season; a moonshot to left-center that easily cleared the high fence and 220-foot marker to put FLC on top, 5-4.

"She just sat back and drove the ball. I told her before the at-bat, 'Stay right back up the middle,' and that's where the ball went," said Reeves of Leavell's swing. "She did exactly what we asked her to do and she came in clutch this weekend."

FLC would add one more insurance run when senior Kelly Decker doubled and scored two batters later on a wild pitch.

Redshirt junior Mandy Lorenson worked around two errors in the home-half of the seventh inning to shut the door, picking up her second win of the weekend after tossing seven innings, allowing four runs, two earned, while striking out seven. For the second straight start, Lorenson also did not walk a batter.

Adding to her impressive weekend, Lorenson also picked up her first save of the 2020 season and her second career save in Sunday's first game, getting CSM's Lauren Decker to strike out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to preserve the 7-6 victory.

"Mandy was huge for us and it's huge knowing that we have her and Brianna that we are able to go to at any point in time," Reeves said. "The way that they both grew this weekend (in the pitcher's circle), it's big for their confidence and for our confidence as a team."

Junior right-hander Kendra Keahbone picked up her first win of the season in Game Three, working 1.2 innings of relief after Leavell went the first seven innings, limiting Mines to four runs, three earned and striking out three.

FLC would again come from behind in Sunday's opener, striking for three runs in the fifth inning to erase a 3-1 deficit.

With the score deadlocked at 5-5 in the top of the ninth, Hefley doubled in Gutierrez and scored one batter later on a RBI single from Leavell to put the Skyhawks on top for good.

"The first game was just one of those games that kept going back and forth. Again, we just never gave up," Reeves said. "We were able to make good contact and do the little things right that you need to do to win games."

Hefley, Gutierrez, Leavell and Shotton all recorded two hits in the Game Three victory, while Decker, junior Julia Roberts and senior Cassie Sloan each added singles to pace the FLC lineup.

Fort Lewis will now head back to Durango and prepare for a 12-game home stand, starting Friday and Saturday with a four-game set against the current RMAC leaders, Colorado Christian University (18-5 overall, 8-0 RMAC).

"It's going to be so nice to be at home, sleep in our own beds and not have to worry about jumping back on a bus after the games. I know all the girls are looking forward to it," Reeves said. "We're all looking forward to this home stand and we'll go in to each series with the mindset that we're going to take four wins."
 
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