DURANGO, Colorado — The Fort Lewis College softball team hoped their offense would warm up a bit in the second week of the season, but the Skyhawk bats stayed as frigid as the wind that blew across Aspen Field until sophomore Brianna Leavell launched a two-run walkoff homer in the final inning of a twin bill against Colorado Christian to salvage a split on Saturday afternoon. 

The 3-2 win was the first of the young season for the Skyhawks (1-5, 1-1 RMAC), who dropped the opening game to Colorado Christian (2-4, 1-1 RMAC) by a 10-2 score.

Game One - Fort Lewis 2 Colorado Christian 10

Sub-freezing temperatures delayed the start of the first contest, but the Skyhawks were eventually able to host a February home game for only the second time in school history, and the first since 2015.

Kylie Hefley marked the occasion by opening the home half of the first inning with a solo blast to put the Skyhawks up 1-0, but Colorado Christian was able to even the score on a wild pitch in the second inning and took the lead for good on a two-run homer and sacrifice fly in the third frame to go on top 4-1.

The visitors plated a couple of more runs in the fifth before a McKenna Hefley single scored Azalea Moore in the bottom half of the inning to get FLC back to within 7-2. That was as close as it would get, however, as the Cougars would tack on three more in the 7th inning to close out the scoring.

Colorado Christian outhit the Skyhawks 12-7, and drew five walks in the contest to only one for Fort Lewis. 

Moore and Kylie Hefley paced Fort Lewis with two hits apiece, and Hefley reached base a third time when she was hit by a pitch. She and Pilar Gutierrez each stole a base for the Skyhawks.

"We've got to produce more runs, and capitalize on our opportunities. That's something we didn't do in game one," Coach Ashley Reeves said after her squad stranded six runners in the first contest.

Although each team committed two errors in the game, the Skyhawks set the tone for what would be a solid defensive effort throughout the day. Reeves said she was pleased with the way Fort Lewis' fielders backed up their pitching despite the challenges presented by playing in the cold and wind.

"We had a couple of double plays, and I'm proud of that," Reeves said. "We did a good job minimizing errors, and our outfielders did a great job running down balls, especially because of the wind."

Game Two - Fort Lewis 3 Colorado Christian 2

Offense proved even harder to come by in the second game of the day, as Colorado Christian used a pair of hurlers in an effort to outlast Skyhawks starter Brianna Leavell in the 3-2 loss.

The Cougars got on the scoreboard first when they got to Leavell for a pair of hits in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead, but Fort Lewis answered in their half of the inning when pinch-runner Cara Daugherty scored on a groundout by first baseman Julia Roberts.

After giving up the go-ahead run on a solo shot by Colorado Christian's Samaria Roope in the top of the 5th, the Skyhawks loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame but McKenna Hefley's fly ball to center field was caught on the warning track to end the threat.

The Skyhawks kept the pressure on by loading the bases again to start the sixth inning. Colorado Christian responded by bringing Game 1 winner Jennifer Romero on in relief, and she quickly got an infield fly and a pair of strikeouts to maintain the one run lead.

"We could have 100 percent shut down after that sixth inning, but they didn't. They competed and they fought," Reeves said.

Colorado Christian tried to manufacture an insurance run in the top half of the 7th, but catcher McKenna Hefley ended the inning when she gunned down a Cougar pinch-runner attempting to steal second base and start a rally.

Hefley would keep the Skyhawks alive a few minutes later when she blooped a two-out single into short center field to set the stage for Leavell's heroics, and the Fort Lewis' starting pitcher helped her own cause by launching a no-doubter over the left field fence to secure the team's first victory in 2021.

"I'm proud of them for winning and competing. We needed this to know we can win games," Reeves said after her squad rallied to win at home.

The Skyhawks hope the late inning rally will awaken the team's dormant offense, and the coach believes a potent combination is coming together on the rim overlooking Durango.

"If we keep up our defense and pitching, our hitting will come. Our bats will definitely come around," Reeves predicted.

Fort Lewis and Colorado Christian will square off again on Sunday, with the first pitch set to be thrown at Aspen Field at 11 a.m. and the second game of the double-header scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.