Softball recap: Rams earn road win over Spartans

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April 2, 2015

Final Stats

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Colorado State softball team made a statement Thursday, shutting out second-place San José State, 6-0. The victory was CSU's 13th in its past 17 games, but its first win of the conference season.

SJSU (25-13, 5-2 MW) entered the day with a conference-most 25 wins, had won six of its past seven contests and was undefeated at home. The Spartans lead the Mountain West in eight offensive statistical categories, and their 6.49 runs-per-game average ranks 33rd nationally. Thursday marked just the second time this season they had been shut out.

"I was really happy for our entire team today, because they've worked so hard," Head Coach Jen Fisher said. "I think we were finally able to show ourselves today, and display what we're capable of doing."

Junior Holly Reinke was efficient in the circle, keeping the high-powered Spartans off the board in the complete-game shutout. SJSU did get on base at a high rate, recording seven hits and drawing four walks, but despite the traffic, Reinke was cool under pressure, holding the Spartans without a run.

SJSU had two runners on base each of the first three innings, including on second and third with zero outs in the third. However, sophomore Haley Hutton reacted quickly to a groundball and fired home to throw the lead runner out at the plate, and following a ground out and line out, CSU (20-16, 1-3 MW) was able to end the inning unscathed.

"We played incredible defense," Fisher said. "Haley Hutton made a couple tremendous plays that shut down their momentum, and then Savannah Clark robbed a line drive. Holly was just feeling like she could pitch the ball on the corners and let them hit it and know that the defense would take care of her. She felt confident, which was great."

In the fourth, Hutton led off with a single, becoming the first Rams batter to reach base. She advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a Shae Rodriguez single up the middle to put the Rams on top, 1-0.

In the fifth, SJSU again had the leadoff batter reach base, but with her on third base and just one out, Hutton was able to hold her at third before throwing to first and getting the second out, and then two batters later, catcher Jaelyn Manzanares threw out an attempted base runner to end the inning.

That's when CSU opened the game, scoring three times in the sixth and twice more in the seventh. With two outs, senior Haley David got the rally going with an infield single. The inning extended when Rodriguez reached on an error, and CSU made the Spartans pay. Freshman Savannah Clark followed with an RBI single up the middle, and Danielle Wikre came through with a run-scoring hit through the right side. With Danni Klein pinch running for Clark, she came in on SJSU's second error of the inning.

In the seventh, sophomore Taryn Arcarese and David each singled, and with two outs, both came in to score with a Rodriguez double to center. The senior drove in three runs on the day, in addition to scoring a run.

"Shae hitting that double really opened the game up, Fisher said, "but going back to earlier in the game, we manufactured a run, and it was Shae's groundball up the middle that got the first run in. She's always very dialed in."

CSU will look to carry the momentum toward Friday, when the Rams face the Spartans in Game 2 of the series at 1 p.m. MT. The game will be streamed for free through the Mountain West Network.

"I let the ladies celebrate and feel good for about 15 minutes, but we need to keep fighting," Fisher said. "There are many more battles to come, and even though we got off to a rough start the opening weekend of conference, there's still a lot of season left."

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