Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Northern Colorado
Rams Take One From UNC
3/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 23, 2007
Rainstorms that hit the Northern Colorado held off long enough for the Colorado State softball team (21-14) to pick up a 6-2 win over the Northern Colorado Bears at Butler-Hancock Softball Field in Greeley, Colo. on Friday afternoon.
Lightning in the area caused a suspension of play in the sixth inning of game one before it was eventually stopped with the Rams holding a 6-2 advantage. Because the game had reached the sixth inning, it counts as an official game and a victory for the Rams.
Colorado State fell behind in the third inning when Northern Colorado's Morgan Dahlman tagged CSU pitcher Rebecca Penland for a two-out, two-run homer over the left field fence to give the Bears an early advantage.
Colorado State responded with six runs in the top of the fourth inning, highlighted by a Julia Kloppe grand slam to left centerfield to give the Rams the 4-2 lead. Two Northern Colorado errors allowed the Rams' Chelsey Keola and Melissa Routh to cap the scoring.
Northern Colorado threatened in the bottom half of the fourth, but Penland struck out Bears' Ashley Geist to strand two runners on the base path.
Both the Rams and Bears were retired in order in the fifth inning before the game was halted because of lightning in the sixth inning.
Penland pitched four innings, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out three batters. Jessica Strickland pitched one inning for the Rams in relief of Penland, striking out two batters while allowing no hits.
Game two may be rescheduled for a later date, but that has yet to be determined.
Next week, the Rams will travel to Nebraska for doubleheaders against Creighton and the University of Nebraska on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Rams face the Bluejays on Tuesday afternoon in Omaha before taking on the Cornhuskers on Wednesday in Lincoln.
