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Fort Lewis College Athletics

Scoreboard

Sloan Shotton 4.3
David Wilson, FLC Athletics
FLC sophomore Sloan Shotton homered twice and drove in six during Saturday's Game Two win against UCCS (File photo)
1
Fort Lewis FLC 5-13, 5-9 RMAC
2
Winner UC-Colo. Spgs. UCCS 12-12, 11-9 RMAC
Fort Lewis FLC
5-13, 5-9 RMAC
1
Final
2
UC-Colo. Spgs. UCCS
12-12, 11-9 RMAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Fort Lewis FLC 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 0
UC-Colo. Spgs. UCCS 1 0 1 0 0 0 X 2 4 0

W: C. Duffey (3-2) L: Leavell, Brianna (3-6)

14
Winner Fort Lewis FLC 6-14, 6-10 RMAC
3
UC-Colo. Spgs. UCCS 13-13, 12-10 RMAC
Winner
Fort Lewis FLC
6-14, 6-10 RMAC
14
Final
3
UC-Colo. Spgs. UCCS
13-13, 12-10 RMAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Fort Lewis FLC 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 14 14 1
UC-Colo. Spgs. UCCS 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 7 1

W: Keahbone, Kendra (2-0) L: C. Duffey (2-3)

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

Skyhawks' record setting 14-run sixth inning helps FLC to series split against UCCS

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — The dam finally broke.

It broke in a big way for the Fort Lewis College softball team's lineup Saturday, giving the Skyhawks a split in their final double-header of a four-game series against the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

Trailing 3-0 in the top of the sixth inning of Game Four, the Skyhawks (6-14 overall, 6-10 RMAC) put together a staggering, record-setting 14-run inning to shellshock the Mountain Lions (13-13 overall, 12-10 RMAC).

"We've been preaching to the girls, for I don't know how long now, that we know they can hit. And they proved it in that one inning," said FLC head coach Ashley Reeves, referencing the team's struggles with 14 runs in its past five games prior to the 14-run inning. "Hitting is contagious and it just kept going. It was a lot of fun. I'd love to know the answer to why the switch flipped, but whatever it was it clicked and I'm very happy for us and the girls."

Fort Lewis hammered five home runs in the inning alone; tying a school record for home runs in a game with the 2012 team that matched that mark against Colorado Mesa University back on March 7, 2012.
 
Game Two

The historical context for the Skyhawks' 14-run sixth inning is still not fully known as the FLC and RMAC record books currently do not keep single-inning records. But the eruption is one that will undoubtedly go down in program lore.

Fort Lewis sent 17 batters to the plate in the inning, hit five home runs, collected eight extra-base hits, 10 total hits, and scored a ridiculous 11 of their 14 runs with two outs after chewing through three different UCCS pitchers.

Sophomore utility player Sloan Shotton was front and center during the onslaught as she hit two home runs in the inning; tying an individual single-game school record previously done 14 different times. She got the rally started with a two-run shot that pulled FLC within one run at 3-2.

Eight batters and three runs later, Shotton capped her career day with a grand slam that ballooned the FLC lead to 9-3, scoring senior Shelby Hotchkiss, freshman Brianna Leavell and junior Kylie Hefley, who drove in two with a double in the inning.

The six RBI for Shotton was one shy of the school record for a single game, last accomplished by Angelique Elemen on Feb. 17, 2017 against Dixie State.

"We kept telling Sloan she was going to get it, it was going to click, and it did for her today," Reeves said of Shotton, who homered three times in just 22 games in 2020. "She was being aggressive early and she got the connection and contact she had been looking for. It was great to see and great for her, mentally, to come up with the big hits and squaring up the ball."

Junior third baseman McKenna Hefley, as well as freshmen Jadyn Gilley and Hannah Rutherford — the first of her career — all launched home runs in the inning. Nine different FLC players recorded at least one hit and all 11 Skyhawks to make a plate appearance reached base.

"Hannah pinch-hit earlier in the inning and got hit by the pitch. Her next time up I told her, 'Come out of your shoes,' and she absolutely did," Reeves said. "It was fun to watch."

In the pitcher's circle, senior Kendra Keahbone picked up second win of the season with two scoreless innings of relief, lowering her team-best ERA down to 2.84 on the season.

"I was proud of Kendra for coming in and shutting down UCCS," Reeves said. "She is hitting her spots, her changeup is working, and she's getting people to pop up. She gives team's a different look and is a great change of pace for us."
 
Game One

In Game One of Saturday's double-header, the Skyhawks dropped a tight 2-1 pitcher's dual between Leavell and UCCS starter, Cami Duffey.

UCCS took a 1-0 lead in the first, and added a solo home run in the second, to build its advantage.

Fort Lewis answered with a solo home run from Leavell in the top of the seventh — her team-leading seventh long ball of the spring — but as a team were held to the one run on three hits.

Leavell also shined in the pitcher's circle for FLC, receiving a tough-luck loss after holding UCCS to two runs on four hits, striking out five and not walking a batter in six innings.

"Bri pitched very well and held her own, limiting them to two runs, and we need to be able to score more for her there," Reeves said. "We needed to connect and do a better job of manufacturing runs in that first game."

Fort Lewis will look to build off the momentum from Game Two's rout when it plays a make up four-game series against CSU Pueblo, scheduled for Tuesday (12 p.m. & 2 p.m.) and Wednesday (11 a.m. & 1 p.m.) this week at Rawlings Sports Complex.
 
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