Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
North Dakota State
Softball recap: Rams lose two on second day of invitational
2/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 26, 2011
CSU vs. North Dakota State Final Stats | CSU vs. Stanford Final Stats
By Meredith Danner
Athletic Media Relations
STANFORD, Calif. - After CSU erupted for 11 runs against UC Davis (5-6, 0-0 Big West) on Friday at the Stanford Nike Invitational, the offensive outputs of North Dakota State and Stanford were too much for the Rams to overcome on Saturday.
CSU fell to North Dakota State (6-8, 0-0 Summit League), 11-3, in the afternoon before being routed, 16-2, by No. 16/17 Stanford (11-3, 0-0 Pac-10) later in the evening at Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium.
With the two losses, CSU's record slips to 3-10. The Rams have yet to win a game against a tournament host.
"I think they're really doing a nice job of finding themselves as a team," CSU Head Coach Jen Fisher said about the team's recent struggles. "We keep fighting through it. It's hard but I think we've just got to keep looking for small victories."
Against North Dakota State, the Rams' first run came in the third inning. Junior Lyssa Roberts singled up the middle for her seventh RBI of the season, bringing in freshman Cassy Mosser.
CSU scored again in the fifth and sixth innings. Freshman Morghan Doughty scored when freshman Emily Pohl reached on an error by the NDSU third baseman. In the sixth, the Rams used pitching miscues to their advantage. Sophomore Brianna Donahue advanced to second and then third on two wild pitches by Randi Parks. Senior Ivory Allen walked next and advanced to second on a passed ball. Parks then threw an illegal pitch, allowing Allen to advance to third and Donahue to score the Rams' third run.
CSU freshman Alexa Cash started on the mound, giving up two runs in the first on a bases-loaded walk and sacrifice fly. Cash held the Bison to only one hit over the next two innings before allowing two runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth. Freshman Desiree Laswell entered the game in relief of Cash in the sixth, giving up the final three runs of the Bison's seven-run inning.
The opponent did not get easier in the second game of the day, as the Rams took on nationally ranked host Stanford. The Rams were held to just three hits in five innings.
Senior Caitlan Stem provided the Rams' only two runs with a third-inning double down the right-field line to score Doughty and Roberts.
"She's doing a great job in staying level-headed," Fisher said of Stem. "Even when she's frustrated she sets a good example."
The Cardinal scored at least one run in every inning, jumping out to a seven-run lead in the first against CSU sophomore Kelsey Jo O'Brien. O'Brien allowed three runs, two scoring on wild pitches. Six total earned runs were charged to O'Brien in the game.
Laswell entered the game in the first with one out and relinquished the rest of the Cardinal runs, striking out seven batters in 3.2 innings.
The Rams will wrap up play at the invitational on Sunday against Memphis (10-3, 0-0 C-USA) at 10 a.m. MT. The Tigers' eight-game winning streak was snapped by North Dakota State on Saturday in a 2-0 decision.
