SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University softball team did all they could against Colorado Christian, coming back time and time again, but the Cougars escaped with a pair of wins, 6-5, 15-12, Saturday afternoon in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action at the WNMU Softball Field.


CCU (15-12, 11-3 RMAC) opened game one with a bang slamming a grand slam in the first inning for the early 4-0 lead.


WNMU (11-20, 6-12 RMAC) showed they had home run prowess as well with Ashly Eichenberger (Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon High School) drilling a shot over the centerfield fence for a two-run homer that also brought home Mariah McDonald (Silver City/Silver City High School) to leave CCU up 4-2 through one.


Genevieve Reyna and Kim McKnight (Fruitland, NM/Kirtland High School) would then dual it out in the circle over the next several innings, with McKnight shutting out CCU over the next five innings and the Mustangs would finally break through again against Reyna in the fourth inning.


This time, Kale Gahn (Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle High School) powered one over the fence clocking on again over the centerfield fence for a solo shot and it would get WNMU within one, 4-3.


WNMU would tie it at four-all in the fifth as Aimee Vasquez (Ruidoso, NM/Ruidoso High School) opened with a single and after Mariah McDonald (Silver City/Silver City High School) moved her to second with a groundout and Eichenberger came through again with a single into left-center that rolled for awhile allowing Vasquez to come home with the tying score.


It would remain that way into the seventh with McKnight looked set to get out of the inning recording the first two outs, but the Cougars rattled off a single, double and then a big single to left-center that plated two runs for a 6-4 lead heading into the home half.


Two outs were quickly recorded before Eichenberger again flexed her muscles drilling a shot way over the right field fence that cleared the scoreboard to trim the deficit to one. A pair of walks followed to move the tying run into scoring position, but Reyna tallied a groundout to short to end the game.


Eichenberger went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI batting third, as she was the only Mustang with multiple hits.
McKnight tossed 6.2 innings in the circle allowing all six runs, earned, on 10 hits.


Game two had momentum swings throughout, as at least one run was scored by one of the teams in all seven innings. In fact, CCU only didn't score in the fourth and WNMU didn't score in the first.


CCU opened a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second when WNMU tallied their first runs.


Stephanie Higgins (Escondido, CA/Mission Hills High School) and Eichenberger opened with doubles for the first run. Brittney Batten (Benson, AZ/Benson High School) added the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly leaving it 4-2 through two.


The Cougars added another grand slam in the third along with another run to open a 9-2 lead.


The Mustangs showed their fight like always, plating three in the home half of the third, with an error bringing home the first run and then a sacrifice fly by Gahn and a single from Higgins added two more runs for a 9-5 game after three.


Batten tallied a solo homer in the fourth to trim the deficit to three, 9-6, through four.


CCU added a run in the fifth, but the Mustang offense would come back with a big shot in the home half.


After Batten just missed a three-run homer that went foul, Ashley Gonzales (Queen Creek, AZ/Queen Creek High School) ripped one over the centerfield fence to bring in three on the home run and cut the deficit to one, 10-9 after five.


CCU plated four in the sixth to go back up 14-9 and WNMU would add a run in the bottom of the inning on a single by Higgins for the RBI.


CCU posted two more in the seventh, but the Mustangs came back to almost tie it in the last attempt.


Barnes and Gahn tallied RBI singles and with the bases loaded and two outs, a wild pitch by the pitcher appeared to bring home Barnes, but upon further review the umpire ruled that McDonald had went around on the pitch which meant strike three and game over on a close call.


WNMU outhit CCU, 15-12, with Higgins going 4-for-4, along with a three hit effort from McDonald.


WNMU will conclude their four-game series with another doubleheader with CCU Sunday with first pitch set for 11 a.m. at the WNMU Softball Field.