Softball entered the RMAC Championship Tournament as the No. 5 seed but played above expectations, finishing in third. They were just one game away from playing in the championship game.
The RMAC Softball Championship sees the top six teams based on conference record play in a standard double-elimination tournament to decide a conference champion. The top two seeds receive a bye, and the team with the best conference record gets the privilege of hosting the tournament.
The team, built mostly from underclassmen, lacked postseason experience. “We had kids that were hungry, and they were trusting their process. I was really inspired by how calm they were, and they showed up to play,” coach Dwight Sanders said.
UCCS wins against CSU Pueblo in the first round, 9-3
In the first inning of the first-round game on April 30, sophomore utility player Gianna Pancost got an RBI to open up the score for the Mountain Lions. This was followed by another RBI from junior catcher Katie Steinmetz, bringing the score to 2-0.
The game did not see any more runs until the fourth, when sophomore infielder Jennavieve Goldsworth got an RBI to extend the lead to 3. This was the start of a rally as RBIs from Pancost and Steinmetz gave the Mountain Lions a 5-0 lead.
In the seventh, sophomore infielder Laynee Case extended the lead with a 2-run home run. Goldswort and sophomore outfielder Jacquelynn Siefken put the finishing touches on the game with two more RBIs, extending the lead to 9-0.
CSU Pueblo attempted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, scoring 3 runs, but it was not enough as UCCS advanced to the next round with a 9-3 win.
This game showcased the improved offense from UCCS, as they went from a .272 batting average last year to a .335 average this year, third best in the conference. Sanders said this improvement is a result of a better mentality from the team. “It’s just more confidence at the plate, understanding how to make adjustments, and not over-adjust. And each swing being 1% better,” he said.
UCCS loses against Colorado Christian in the quarterfinals, 5-3
For the first three innings of the quarter final game on April 30, the Mountain Lions went scoreless. It wasn’t until an error by Colorado Christian in the fourth allowed Goldsworth to put the first run on the board. This was followed by a Case RBI double that made it 2-0 for UCCS.
CCU provided a strong response in the fifth, scoring 3 runs and taking the lead 3-2. In the sixth, CCU continued the scoring and extended their lead to 5-2.
In the seventh, a wild pitch allowed sophomore catcher Katelyn Kilgore to score, cutting the lead down to 5-3. Despite the score from Kilgore, Colorado Christian won the game, 5-3.
Sanders said that this was a winnable game for the team that slipped away, “ [The team] left that game knowing they should have won the game, which gave them more motivation to get back to the championship, because they know if they can beat the 1 seed they can beat anybody,” he said.
UCCS wins against Black Hills State in the first consolation round, 3-0
The first game of the consolation round on May 1 saw instant action. Freshman utility player Tayler McCombs hit a 2-RBI to give the Mountain Lions a 2-0 lead leaving the first.
After the first, there were no runs from either team until the seventh.
In the seventh, Pancost hit a double that brought junior outfielder Bailey Olerich home, and that 3-0 score would hold for the rest of the game.
UCCS wins against MSU Denver in the second consolation round, 3-2
In the second inning of the second consolation round, freshman infielder Halley Redd hit a 2-RBI to give UCCS a 2-0 lead.
In the third, an error from UCCS allowed MSU Denver to score a run. That opened up the door for another run in the third that allowed MSU Denver to tie the game at 2-2.
Performances by junior pitcher Autumn Kunze and freshman pitcher Lauren Falk kept MSU Denver from scoring for the next 4 innings. With a tied game at the end of the seventh, the fans were treated to extra softball.
With the season on the line, senior utility player Edyn Lopez decided that her senior gift for the team would be an RBI in extra innings that brought Redd home, giving UCCS a 3-2 lead and the eventual win in the ninth inning.
Extra innings in an elimination game provided a lot of pressure for a young Mountain Lions team, but Sanders said he was impressed by the poise his team showed in this situation. “I think the girls did a really good job being level-headed. I think watching the game, you wouldn’t have guessed that anybody’s heart rates were elevated,” he said.
UCCS loses against Colorado Mesa in the consolation final, 7-2
In the first inning of the consolation final, Colorado Mesa drew first blood and took a quick 1-0 lead.
UCCS found a response in the third with a Steinmetz RBI that tied the game at 1-1. But Colorado Mesa was quick to turn the tide back in their favor in the bottom of the third, taking a 4-1 lead.
A passed ball in the fourth allowed Redd to cut into the deficit and make it a 4-2 game.
That was as good as it got for the Mountain Lions, as Colorado Mesa scored 3 more runs in the fifth and pitched a shutout the rest of the game, allowing them to move on with a 7-2 win. The loss eliminated UCCS from the tournament, one game shy of the championship game.
According to Sanders, the results from this tournament can be credited to the energy and enthusiasm the team showed, “our dugout was incredibly energetic. They picked up their teammates on the field. That translated, and then we just hit the ball well, and we did what we knew we could do consistently,” he said.
Sanders reflects on tournament run
This was the first postseason appearance for softball since 2022, but the team played like tournament regulars according to Sanders. This was his second season coaching UCCS. “I think they played like pros. It was really cool to see,” he said.
With 17 underclassmen and just 7 upperclassmen, the team lacked postseason experience. But according to Sanders, that did not bother the team one bit once they began playing, “When they got there, they knew they belonged. All of our kids matured, and they grew up a little bit,” he said.
The preseason coaches’ poll placed UCCS in sixth place in the conference, predicting that a close battle would ensue with the seventh and eighth seeds for the final spot in the conference tournament.
The Mountain Lions exceeded expectations and overcame many challenges, according to Sanders. “It was a magical year to see a bunch of young kids come together that don’t know each other. A lot of roster turnover, and we had to gel together,” he said.
Sanders said that this is the new standard for softball. “We want to move forward from this. We don’t just want to be the Cinderella story that had one good year. We want to fix the inconsistency that’s been part of our program’s history in recent years. The standard we played at that tournament, we want to do that every single day we step on the field,” he said.
Photo courtesy of GoMountainLions.