Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
8-11
Idaho State
8-11
CSU's offense shines in pair of home wins
3/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Colorado State Rams beat both Idaho State and Nebraska-Omaha on Sunday at Ram Field to finish the Colorado State Classic with a 3-1 record.
Idaho State - 6
Colorado State - 8
Box Score
CSU avenged its loss to Idaho State from Saturday, beating the Bengals 8-6 on Sunday afternoon.
Savannah Clark hit a two-run home run to left-center with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to give CSU the lead for good at 8-6. The rally started with two outs when Kristina Akiona singled past second base for her first hit of the game.
The Rams looked to have the game in hand earlier, using a four-run bottom of the fourth to take a 6-2 lead. Lauren Buchanan hit a double to left field, scoring Kirsten Kauk on the play. Pitcher Holly Reinke then singled to left field, scoring Amber Nelson and advancing Buchanan to third base. After Haley Hutton walked to load the bases, Taryn Arcarese was hit by a pitch and Madison Kilcrease walked to score two more runs.
The lead was short-lived, however. Idaho State responded with a four-run inning of their own in the top of the fifth to tie the game back up at 6-6.
The home team took a 2-1 lead in the third inning after Hutton tripled from the lead-off spot. Arcarese hit a sacrifice fly to deep center to score Hutton and give the Rams their first lead of the game.
Reinke collected her sixth win of the season in a complete game performance.
Nebraska-Omaha - 6
Colorado State - 10
Box Score
CSU beat Nebraska-Omaha for the second time in two days, beating the Mavericks 10-6 with a late rally at Ram Field.
Trailing 5-4 entering the sixth inning, the Rams put together an extensive offensive frame to take control of the game. With one out, Haley Hutton tripled to right field to score Maci Stouffer from second base. Taryn Arcarese then hit a fly ball to center field, which the Mavericks outfield dropped, allowing Hutton to score. Arcarese then came around to score on a single by Savannah Clark up the middle.
The Rams then loaded the bases after Amber Nelson walked, and Hannah McCorkhill provided a single to the right side, scoring pinch runner Monica Navarrete. Jaelyn Manzanares, who led off the inning, then singled through the right side to score both Nelson and Clark. The Rams' rally would finally end, but not before they took a commanding 10-5 lead.
Center fielder Madison Kilcrease made a pair of highlight-reel catches at the wall in the top of the seventh inning to secure the win for CSU.
CSU led 4-2 through three innings. Hutton tripled to right center in the bottom of the second, scoring both Stouffer and McCorkhill. Hutton also scored in the first inning with Arcarese doubling her home.
Bridgette Hutton registered her second collegiate win and second complete game in the outing.
IN THEIR WORDS...
"Those were great catches. We talked to them after the game about the fact that that's all the outfielders because they work on that all the time. They all should take pride in that. They talk to each other out there, they get good reads, and good first steps. I mean (Kilcrease's catch with one out in the seventh) was one of the best catches I've ever seen and even the other coach took her hat off and clapped for her because it was such a great catch. You know you're doing something right or that it's an outstanding catch when the other coach takes her hat off. That was fantastic defense from the outfield, it helped Bridgette a lot." - CSU Head Coach Jen Fisher on the incredible play in the outfield
"That's something we just talked about, we're proud of ourselves for doing that. Coming back and fighting to get runs late in the game is something that is really important to us." - Fisher on how the team handles pressure
"I'm a civil engineer major so I try not to think too much about numbers. It's the process and relying on what we've been working on in practice. I try not to think about if I don't get the hit my batting average will go down. I try not to have hat mentality because most of the time it's distracting." - Junior shortstop Haley Hutton on whether she is aware of her stellar offensive numbers
"I feel more confident, I think that knowing that if I get on base, there are people behind that will hit me in. I don't have to do everything all the time and everybody doesn't have to do everything all the time. We've been playing as a team and that's super nice because in the past it hasn't felt this way, our team dynamic is different this year." - Hutton on the confidence of herself and the team
STAT OF THE WEEKEND...
.812 - Shortstop Haley Hutton compiled an on base percentage of .812 over CSU's four games at the Colorado State Classic. She also had a .727 batting average and a slugging percentage of 1.727.
NOTES...
- Haley Hutton's stellar weekend numbers also boosted her season stat line to .475 avg, .571 ob% and .705 slugging.
- CSU has won six of its last seven games, improving to 9-11 after started the season 3-10.
- Savannah Clark was also great at the plate all weekend, posting a .467 battng average with four RBI and a .933 slugging percentage.
- Six Rams had at least four RBI on the weekend - Hutton, Clark, Kristina Akiona, Hannah McCorkhill, Madison Kilcrease and Taryn Arcarese.
- Clark's late home run against Idaho State was her second of the weekend and her second of the year, joining Akiona and Lauren Buchanan as Rams with multiple homers.
NEXT...
CSU will have a 10 day break before they play Northern Colorado in Greeley on Wednesday, March 16. The Rams will then head to San Diego for their final non-conference action of 2016 on March 18-20.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Reinke, Holly (6-5)
L: Slagle, Sophie (3-4)
Batting:
HR: Birkett, Reis 1
RBI: Hickman, Maddy 1 ; Ames, Ashlyn 1 ; Birkett, Reis 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Taylor, Micheala 2 ; Hickman, Maddy 1 ; Ames, Ashlyn 1 ; Portesi, Alex 1 ; Birkett, Reis 1
SB: Marquez, Katelyn 1 ; Burnett, Kacie 1
HBP: Marquez, Katelyn 1
Batting:
2B: Clark, Savannah 1 ; Buchanan, Lauren 1
3B: Hutton, Haley 1
HR: Clark, Savannah 1
RBI: Arcarese, Taryn 2 ; Kilcrease, Madison 1 ; Clark, Savannah 2 ; Buchanan, Lauren 1 ; Reinke, Holly 1
SH: Arcarese, Taryn 1 ; McCorkhill, Hannah 1
SF: Arcarese, Taryn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hutton, Haley 1 ; Akiona, Kristina 1 ; Clark, Savannah 2 ; Kauk, Kirsten 1 ; Nelson, Amber 1 ; Buchanan, Lauren 1 ; Navarrete, Monica 1
SB: Galbreath, Sierra 1
HBP: Arcarese, Taryn 1
