Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SILVER CITY, N.M. – Senior Mariah McDonald (Silver City/Silver City High School) delivered another walk-off hit to win the first game for the Western New Mexico University softball team, 3-2, before Colorado Christian University came back to win a shootout in the nightcap, 15-10, Saturday in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


"The bats were really coming around, as offensively we did a great job at the plate, but just came up short," third-year head coach Angela Corliss said. "Having Mariah come up with that walk-off home run is awesome and looking forward to keeping it going. Domi is a rock for us and we look forward to some good things out of her the entire season as she throws it so well."


McDonald posted her second walk-off hit of the season and this time she did it with a home run that sailed over the left field fence on a 2-1 pitch to boost WNMU (3-12, 1-1 RMAC) to the 3-2 victory in the first game.


The Lady Mustangs threatened out of the gate, as junior Stephanie Higgins (Escondido, CA/Mission Hills High School) and McDonald opened the first with back-to-back hits. Mariah Bledsoe, though, came back for CCU (5-8, 1-1 RMAC) with three straight outs to end the threat.


Sophomore Krystal Castillo (Silver City, NM/Silver City) helped WNMU break through first in the second. Senior Tessa Fanning (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union) walked and was later erased on a fielder's choice by senior Breanna Diaz (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield). She would move to second on a wild pitch just in time for Castillo to hit her home with a roped double to left-center to score Diaz with the first run of the game.


Seniors Kale Gahn (Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle High School) and Ricki Gentry (Lakeside, CA/Christian High School) hit consecutive doubles in the third to expand the WNMU lead to 2-0.


Sophomore Domi Shone (Gold Canyon, AZ/Mesquite) carried a no-hitter into the fourth and the Cougars came back to tie the game at two in the fifth with a pair of runs on three hits.


After neither team scored in the sixth, McDonald came through with the clutch hit to end the game with two outs in the seventh.


WNMU held an 8-4 edge in hits with McDonald, Gahn and Castillo all collecting two hits. McDonald, Gentry and Castillo all had an RBI. Shone (3-5) went the distance to collect the win allowing two earned runs on four hits, along with four strikeouts.


In the second game, both offenses were clicking at different times. The Cougars opened scoring the first two runs in the opening frame. In the home half, the Lady Mustangs came right back. Higgins doubled and after McDonald singled, Gahn boomed a shot to right-center to score all three runs and give WNMU a 3-2 lead after one.


The Cougars then threatened to go ahead for good in the sixth tallying six runs to take an 8-3 lead.


The game was far from over. The Lady Mustangs rallied with a big inning of their own in the fourth. Sophomore Samantha Munoz (Peoria, AZ/Centennial) opened the inning with a single. Sophomore Mary Othon (Tucson, AZ/Desert View High School) pinch-hit and singled to left. After a fielder's choice out, freshman Lacy Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) battled back in her pinch-hit to line a single on a 1-2 pitch to score Othon. Higgins quickly brought home sophomore Krystal Castillo (Silver City, NM/Silver City) and then a McDonald single loaded the bases for Gahn. Gahn cashed in with a two-run single to left. Gentry, Munoz and Othon added an RBI each to cap the seven-run outburst.


CCU answered back with five runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take a 15-10 lead and eventual victory.


WNMU held a 16-13 advantage in hits with Othon and Gahn posting three hits. Higgins, McDonald and Munoz added two hits apiece. Gahn had five RBI to lead the Lady Mustangs. Four Lady Mustangs pitched in the circle, including Shone who logged 4.1 innings.


WNMU and CCU will close their four-game series Sunday morning beginning with another doubleheader at 11 a.m.