Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Central Michigan
Softball recap: Rams drop two on first day of tournament
3/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 11, 2011
CSU vs. Central Michigan Final Stats | CSU vs. Maryland Final Stats
By Meredith Danner
Athletic Media Relations
CLEARWATER, Fla. – It was a tough first day for the Rams at the USF Under Armour Showcase on Friday as they were shut out by Central Michigan, 8-0, and Maryland, 6-0, at Eddie C. Moore Complex. The Rams were held to six total hits on the day.
With the two losses, CSU’s record drops to 4-17.
“We battled and worked deeper into counts, and good things are going to happen if we work deeper into the counts,” CSU Head Coach Jen Fisher said.
In the game against Central Michigan, the Rams were held to just three hits off Chippewa pitchers Chelsea Sundberg and Kari Seddon. The two combined for nine strikeouts over five innings.
Senior Caitlan Stem collected the first Ram hit with a double to left field in the first inning. In the second, freshman Alysa Greckel singled to the shortstop Molly Coldren, followed immediately by another single to Coldren by freshman Chelsea Biglow.
On the mound, freshman Desiree Laswell started her first game since last Sunday’s matchup with Santa Clara, in which she struck out nine batters and held the Broncos to four hits. Laswell gave up seven earned runs against Central Michigan allowing no home runs, striking out two.
CSU faced Maryland later in the evening. The Rams were again held to three hits and struck out 14 times against freshman pitcher Ashley Czechner.
Greckel began the Rams’ half of the first inning with a single to shortstop. Junior Lyssa Roberts collected the second hit, singling to right field. The Rams’ final hit came in the fourth, when freshman Cassandra Mosser advanced to first on a bunt single.
Rams’ sophomore starter Kelsey Jo O’Brien pitched six innings against the Terrapins, giving up four earned runs and striking out four.
“We played good defense and saw a much better performance out of [O’Brien],” Fisher said. “Offensively, I think we’re just trying to build our database of how we can hit certain pitches. Our kids are technically pretty savvy; we’ve just got to get better at the execution.”
Saturday, the Rams will continue play at the Showcase, facing Massachusetts at 1 p.m. MT. They will then face Connecticut at 3:30 MT.
