Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Cal
Rams Play Through Rain, Finish NIST 1-2 on Saturday
3/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 12, 2006
No. 7 Cal Box Score Nevada Box Score Sacramento State Box Score
Despite rainy conditions that delayed play two hours on Saturday, the Colorado State softball team played two complete games and finished another from the night before to wrap up play at the National Invitational Softball Tournament.
The Rams fell to the No. 7 California Golden Bears on Sunday morning, after the game was halted on Saturday night due to rain. The game was stopped in the fifth inning with the score tied 1-1, but the Rams could not pull out a victory, eventually falling to Cal 4-2.
Cal put a run up on the board early in the contest on Saturday evening thanks to a leadoff double and an outfield error by senior Jennifer Gardner to take a 1-0 lead. The Rams tied the game in the top of the fifth inning when junior Brittany Huerta led off the inning with a solo home run.
Play resumed on Sunday morning and Cal added three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 4-1 lead. The Rams' rally in the top of the seventh fell short, as the team added just one run.
Freshman Kim Klabough, who had posted the best start by a freshman in school history (7-0), lost her first game of the season to move to 7-1. Klabough allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out seven batters in the loss.
In the Rams second game of the day on Sunday, Colorado State shutout the University of Nevada Wolfpack by a 2-0 final. Huerta provided the offense for the Rams, crushing her fourth home run of the season and second of the tournament, scoring sophomore Lauren Cusick and giving the Rams the victory. The homer, Huerta's 20th career round-tripper, ties her for fourth in a career at CSU with former all-american Ricki Walker.
Klabough pitched a complete game to pick up the victory and move to 8-1 on the season. She struck out eight batters and allowed just six hits in seven innings.
In the Rams' third and final contest of the day, the Rams fell to 15-7 on the season with a 2-1, extra innings loss to Sacramento State. The Hornets got on the board with a run in the third inning, and the Rams tied the game in the fifth inning when junior Jessica Strickland singled in Gardner.
The Rams' threatened to end the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Strickland led with a double, followed by a Lauren Cusick walk. However, junior Stacey Leigh, Huerta and sophomore Julia Kloppe were retired in order to send the game into extra innings.
The Hornets added a run in the top of the eighth on leadoff double to score the runner placed on second. In the bottom half of the inning, freshman Jamie Wong was placed on second. Senior Katie Dean led off with a walk, and two outs later, Wong was on third base, but the Rams were unable to capitalize.
Overall, the Rams posted a 1-3 record at the NIST. They will continue action over Spring Break, beginning double headers against San Jose State and Pacific on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively before beginning play at the Capital Classic Softball Tournament on Friday.
