Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
UCLA
Rams Drop First Two Games in Desert
2/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 16, 2007
UCLA Box Score Hawai'i Box Score
The Colorado State softball team fell to No. 9 UCLA, 10-2, and Hawai'i, 9-5, in Las Vegas, Nev. in the first two games of the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic. With the losses, the Rams fall to 3-5 on the season.
UCLA took a commanding lead early in the game, posting nine runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Bruins capitalized on mulitiple singles and an error by sophomore catcher Shannon Causgrove to scored eight runs on starter Jessica Strickland before sophomore Kim Klabough entered the game in relief of Strickland. Two UCLA doubles off of Klabough doubles gave the Bruins a 9-0 lead.
Colorado State's only two runs came in the top of the second inning when freshman Kayla Kreutzman doubled to right center and freshman Robyn Mask hit a two-run homer, her fifth this season. The Bruins added a final run in the fourth when Jodie Legaspi stole home. Unfortunately, the Rams couldn't answer, and UCLA captured the 10-2 victory in five innings.
"In the first game, UCLA took advantage of seeing-eye hit, after hit," said head coach Mary Yori. "They didn't hit the ball extremely hard, but put together one big inning. We battled, and Robyn (Mask) got a big hit off of an All-American pitcher."
Mask led the Rams with a 1-for-1 game with a two-run homer and two RBI. Kreutzman went 1-for-2 with one run scored. Strickland (2-1) picked up her first loss of the season, allowing eight runs. Klabough pitched 4.0 innings in relief of Strickland, allowing two runs and striking out one batter.
In the Rams' evening contest against Hawi'i, Richie Anne Titcomb led off with a run in the first inning for the Wahine after being hit by a pitch from CSU transfer Cayte Billman. They continued their scoring streak into the second inning, getting a two-run homer from Alana Power to give Hawai'i a 3-0 lead.
The Rams answered with one run in the bottom of the second when junior Julia Kloppe led off the inning with a double. Mask walked and Billman singled to score Kloppe.
Hawai'i notched a run in each of the next three innings. Hawai'i's Gould and Power each scored in the third and fourth innings, respectively, and Kate Robinson smacked a solo shot in the fifth inning.
CSU's Kreutzman hit a solo home run in the fourth to give the Rams an additional run, but the Rams trailed 6-2 after the fifth.
Colorado State rallied in the sixth, posting three runs, to cut the Hawi'i lead to 6-5. Freshman Melissa Routh singled and advanced to second on a fielding error. Strickland singled followed by a 3-run home run by senior Brittany Huerta, her fourth home run of the season.
Hawai'i answered with three more runs in the final inning to take the victory 9-5. Valana Manuma singled before Robinson hit her second homer of the game. Titcomb scored the final run on a single by Gould.
Huerta led the Rams, going 1-for-3 from the plate with one run scored and three RBI. Billman started the game for the Rams and pitched 4.0 innings, allowing five runs and striking out one batter. Penland pitched 2.2 innings in relief of Billman before Klabough pitched 0.1 to close out the game for the Rams. Penland allowed four runs and struck out two batters. Billman picked up the loss for the Rams, dropping to 0-2 on the season.
"They (Hawi'i) oupitched us," added Yori. "We just gave up too many hits, and they are a very good offensive team. But we are playing sound defense and heads-up ball. We just have to get better pitching"
Colorado State is set to face No. 11 Cal and Central Florida tomorrow in the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. MT, respectively.
