Alamosa junior Emily Crowder (6) comes out of her stance pitching for the Moose. Crowder registered 3 RBI on a homer and 5 strike-outs in Tuesday's game. 

ALAMOSA, Colo. — An in-park home run and two triples couldn’t save Alamosa Softball from an 8 run burst from the Tigers. The Mean Moose hosted No. 18 La Junta (5-12) in a league tilt Tuesday afternoon. The visiting Tigers got the better of Alamosa in a 20-8 game.

On their maiden voyage into varsity Softball, Alamosa (3-7) has been gutting it out despite facing some pretty tough teams this year. In the Moose’s first 10 games half of the teams they’ve faced are ranked in the top 20 of 3A softball based on RPI. But things are looking up for Alamosa, as they are now on the home-stretch. Down the line the Moose will only see two more top-20 teams in eighth ranked Rocky Ford and thirteenth St. Mary’s.

Tuesday afternoon Alamosa looked crisp, holding La Junta to a single run in the first inning. At the bottom of that inning Emily Crowder and Aleceya Tolsma got on base with walks. Ashley Lopez followed by banging a floater to left field to score Crowder and Tolsma. Lopez's triple gave Alamosa the lead heading into the second inning.  La Junta would add a run at bat and sit three batters from the field to tie things up heading to the third.

The Moose could not seem to get out of the field when a flurry of errors kept things flowing for La Junta. Accented by a double RBI from La Junta freshman Lexi Nunez-Rebel the Tigers put up 8 runs to take firm control of the game. The Moose trailed 10-2 at the bottom of the third.

Ashley Lopez (12), Alamosa senior makes solid connection. At bat Lopez had a solid day registering two triples and 3 RBI in Tuesday's loss. (Courier photos by Stephen Jiron)

With Crowther on base once again Lopez sent the ball down the first base line for her second triple and third RBI of the game to close the distance a little. But La Junta stayed busy and added to their lead in the fourth. The errors cut deep once again, Alamosa allowed an in-park home run to La Junta senior Angel Cowell, and a 5 run rally to open things up to 15-3.

Trailing by more than ten runs and with the fifth inning looming the Moose channeled the urgency into productivity. Raquel Kunugi would get on with a single while Gracie Miller would be walked, both advanced around the diamond on wild pitches. Unique Ross got the scoring started by bunting Kunugi in. Crowder followed by sending a hopper into right center field where the ball nestled itself softly against the gate. Ross and Miller would score easily and Crowder followed them to beat the tag at home and complete her third home run of the season.

After their own rally Alamosa closed the distance to 15-7. Having staved off the ‘sportsmanship’ rule the Moose fell silent for the remaining three innings getting on the board once more in the seventh inning when Crowder got home on a wild pitch. La Junta added five more runs over the sixth and seventh for the 20-8 finale.

Alamosa’s Crowder and Lopez would share the team RBI lead each having batted in three runners. Crowder also did well from the mound sitting down 5 batters.

Alamosa will go back to work on Thursday at 3 p.m. when they welcome James Irwin for another league game. Last time Alamosa met James Irwin the Moose levied a 17-1 beatdown.