The Mustangs could not get the bats going in game one at Fort Lewis College Friday afternoon. After producing only four hits and committing four errors, WNMU only tallied one run. Fort Lewis took the first game, 3-1. WNMU bounced back in game two after a big fifth inning and the 7-5 victory.

 

WNMU is now 18-13 on the season and 14-5 in conference play; whereas, Fort Lewis goes to 11-15 overall with a 10-10 record in the RMAC.

 

In game one, WNMU pitcher Emily Huhta (Albuquerque, NM, Manzano High School, Lamar Community College) recorded the loss after throwing 6.0 innings and striking out five batters. She gave up one run in the first and another in the third before her teammates finally got on the board in the sixth. 

 

With two outs, Kristina Barr (San Diego, CA, La Costa Canyon High School, Central Community College) hammered a single-run homer to cut the 2-0 Skyhawk lead in half. The lead quickly stretched to two again in the bottom of the sixth as the Mustangs committed two errors to allow an unearned run.

 

Game two started out well for WNMU.   Kaitlynn Barnes (Phoenix, AZ, Deer Valley High School) not only cleared the homerun fence, but she nearly knocked the ball over a second fence. It was good for two runs. 

 

The Skyhawks connected on a double on their at-bat to bring one run across the plate, but WNMU matched it in the second when Kortney Smith (Maricopa, AZ, Marana High School, Central Arizona Community College) singled to centerfield to bring in Jessica Jayo (Peoria, AZ, Centennial High School), who reached on a walk. 

 

The Skyhawks continued to score one run in each of the next three innings. Heading into the top of the fifth, Fort Lewis had the 4-3 lead. WNMU tied the game in the top of the fifth with a Barnes sacrifice fly that brought Smith across for a run. The Mustangs then pulled ahead by three runs, 7-4, with a Brittney Batten (Benson, AZ, Benson High School) single, a Rebecca Reynolds (Benson, AZ, Benson High School) sacrifice fly, and a Jayo single to right field to end the inning. 

 

Fort Lewis notched another RBI in the fifth but could not muster up any more in the sixth or seventh. 

 

Arriel Smith (Oakhurst, CA, Yosemite High School) remains undefeated in the pitching circle with five wins. Huhta posted her fifth save of the season.