Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Northwestern
Rams walk past No. 12 Northwestern
3/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 21, 2008
HONOLULU, Hawaii - The Colorado State softball team used a six-run outburst in the top of the first inning to jump out to an early lead and held off the No. 12-ranked Northwestern Wildcats for a 9-3 victory at the Bank of Hawaii Invitational on Saturday. With the victory, the Rams improve to 16-11 on the season.
Colorado State sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning thanks to four consecutive walks to begin the game by Wildcats' freshman starter Jessica Smith. With a 1-0 lead and the bases loaded, sophomore pitcher Rebecca Penland tagged Smith with a double to left field to give the Rams a quick 3-0 advantage.
After Penland's double, the Wildcats made a pitching change, bringing in sophomore hurler Lauren Delaney. Delaney, however, did not fare much better. After striking out sophomore Kayla Kreutzman, Delaney hit sophomore Ashley Munoz with a pitch. She then struck out junior Kim Klabough before walking sophomore Robyn Mask to score senior Julia Kloppe.
After a Delaney wild pitch which scored Penland, senior Lauren Cusick, in her second at-bat of the inning, poked an RBI single to second base to plate Munoz. Delaney got Northwestern out the inning with a strikeout of freshman Caitlan Stem.
Penland retired the Wildcats in order in the bottom half of the inning, and Kloppe pushed the Rams' lead to 7-0 in the top of the second with a solo home run to center field, her third long ball of the season. Kloppe improved on her team-best .429 batting average with a 2-for-3 performance from the plate.
Penland allowed Northwestern just one hit in the first three innings of the game, before the Wildcats got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning on a fielder's choice to the shortstop.
Klabough entered in relief of Penland to start the fifth inning and allowed two runs, one each in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Rams added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh to keep Northwestern from crawling back into the contest.
After a single by Kloppe, junior Michelle Reynolds entered as a pinch runner and advanced to second on another wild pitch by Delaney. Penland, who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI, then stepped up and notched her second double of the afternoon to score Reynolds and advanced to third on a throwing error. Penland scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly by Munoz
Overall, the Wildcats outhit the Rams by a 10-7 margin, but Colorado State capitalized on seven free passes and three wild pitches from the Wildcats' pitching staff.
Penland earned the victory and improved to 4-2 on the season. She allowed just one run on three hits in 4.0 innings of work. Klabough earned the save - her first of the season - pitching the final 3.0 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out four batters.
The Rams conclude play at the Bank of Hawaii Invitational on Saturday with another matchup against Northwestern. First pitch is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. MT.
