Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
1-0
Maryland
0-2
Recap: CSU splits opening day at Texas Classic
2/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
AUSTIN, Texas - The Colorado State Rams opened their 2017 season by splitting a pair of contests at the Texas Classic hosted by the University of Texas. CSU beat Maryland behind three home runs, but then got shut out in the following game by the hosts.
Maryland - 5
Colorado State - 14 (6 innings)
Box Score
The Colorado State Rams got their 2017 season started about as well as anyone could hope for, beating Maryland 14-5 in a six-inning affair.
The Rams were the first team to bat, and they didn't appear to have any desire to stop hitting early. Haley Hutton led off with a double, and both Taryn Arcarese and Amber Nelson walked to load the bases with no outs. Sophomore Lauren Buchanan, the Rams' clean-up hitter in the lineup, worked to a 2-0 count and then took the third pitch of her at-bat deep over the tall left field fence for a season-opening grand slam.
CSU would load the bases again, adding one more run to go up 5-0 on a ground ball to the left side by Madison Kilcrease, scoring Corina Gamboa.
The long ball was the key to CSU's success against the Terrapins. Nelson, one at bat after watching classmate Buchanan go yard, decided to follow suit and hit a three-run bomb of her own, scoring Hutton and Arcarese again. Junior Hannah McCorkhill added a two-run shot later in the same inning, putting the Rams up 11-4 at the time.
The Rams put Larisa Petakoff into the circle to start the fourth inning in relief of starter Kaylynn Pierce, who was making her CSU debut after transferring from UC Riverside this offseason. Petakoff would allow just three baserunners and one run over her three innings of work.
CSU closed the game with a three-run sixth inning, with Nelson providing another RBI with a sacrifice fly and Gamboa earning her first career RBIs with a two-run double. The Terrapins scored once in the sixth, but it was not enough to prevent the Rams from a run-ruled, six inning victory.
Colorado State - 0
Texas - 8 (5 innings)
Box Score
CSU was shut down by the Texas Longhorns on Friday evening, dropping its second game of the day to the hosts, 8-0.
Texas used two four-run innings to beat the Rams, scoring four times in both the first in fourth frames.
Haley Hutton reached base safely in two-of-three plate appearances, while Amber Nelson collected a pair of hits for CSU.
Starting pitcher Bridgette Hutton recorded a double with one out in the fourth, but the Rams could not get her across home. In all, CSU left seven runners on base.
IN THEIR WORDS…
"It was certainly a nice way for us to start the season, especially for Lauren Buchanan to hit that grand slam. We made them pay when they left a ball where we wanted, and it was great to see what we've been practicing at the plate pay off." - Head Coach Jen Fisher on the offensive production against Maryland
"I thought it was unfortunate that we had a couple fly balls that we could have made plays on in that first inning, and then they hit that home run. I don't feel like we got overpowered by them, but we just got out of our rhythm. We just need to stay focused and stick to our plan, no matter who the opponent is." - Fisher on the Texas result
NEXT…
CSU will continue play at the Texas Classic with games against Maryland (10 a.m. MT) and No. 14/16 Minnesota (12:30 p.m. MT). The games will be broadcast via the Longhorn Network and WatchESPN (cooperating television provider subscription required).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: von Sprecken (1-0)
L: Hutton, Bridgette (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Hutton, Bridgette 1
SH: Arcarese, Taryn 1
Base Running:
HBP: Hutton, Haley 1
Batting:
2B: Leahy 1 ; Davis 1
HR: Washington 1
RBI: Tunning 1 ; Leahy 1 ; Washington 2 ; Davis 1 ; Felix 2
SH: Wong 1
SF: Tunning 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wong 2 ; Leahy 2 ; Washington 1 ; Krpec 1 ; Davis 1 ; Hanzel 1
SB: Wong 2
HBP: Leahy 1
