Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, April 10
Fort Collins, CO
12 PM MT
Colorado State
8-11, 2-2
3
vs
8
Fresno State
23-7, 9-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Fresno State
1
1
2
0
0
1
3
8
8
0
Colorado State
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
8
2
Rams Drop Doubleheader to Bulldogs
4/10/2021 6:16:00 PM | Softball
Colorado State recorded a combined 20 hits and 10 runs in the two games.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Take it one pitch at a time.
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For the entire season, the Rams had been working through an offensive block. Overall, the team had a record of 8-10 and a Mountain West mark of 2-1, before Saturday's games settling them in a comfortable position of fourth in the Mountain West.
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Last weekend against Weber State, the team recorded the highest team batting average of the season at .481. After struggling to find its offensive groove, Colorado State felt confident the team's success was just getting started.
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Taking on the first-place team in the conference on Saturday in a doubleheader, the team was walking into the competition ready to build on last weekend's accomplishments.
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Fresno State proved to be a force to be reckoned with. When it mattered most, the offensive struggles seemed to fade away and instead made room for a new look for Colorado State, one which included stringing hits together and moving players across the plate.
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Despite losing both of the games, 8-3 and 8-7, respectively, the Rams had no reason to be disappointed with such a performance.
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"As a team, we were definitely in those games," senior outfielder Tara Shadowen said. "I definitely think we can beat them, and it is so frustrating because we were right there, and then we weren't. We played really good ball, so it's hard to hang our heads about that. We always want to win."
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The first game of Saturday's contest started off strong. Fresno State scored one run in the top of the first inning, which CSU responded with back-to-back run-producing hits from Haley Donaldson and Peyton Allen. Those two runs remained lonesome as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 8-2 after the top of the seventh inning.
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In the bottom of the seventh and CSU's last shot at a rally, Shadowen put up a solo home run for the final tally.
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"The last few weekends, I'd been struggling," Shadowen said. "It was more of just relaxing and just hitting and making good contact. That's what happened, and then I just got in the groove after the line drive to left field in the first game."
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After a prompt 15-minute break, the second game of the day was underway.
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Comparable to the first, the Bulldogs took an early jump on the Rams and tallied a single run in the first inning, but then both teams hit a dry spell until the offensive explosion from the fourth inning through the end of the game.
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Colorado State's fourth frame put four runs on the board, putting them ahead of the Bulldogs for the first time in the contest. The rally during the inning was thanks to Shadowen, who put up two runs for the Rams from her second home run of the day.
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Trailing by three going into the seventh inning, CSU's Ashley Michelena singled to third base and Allen drove her in to leave the Rams trailing by two. A RBI grounder from Donaldson left a one run margin between the teams, and Colorado State couldn't find a gap in the field.
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But coach Jen Fisher isn't even upset with how the games ended.
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"I think our players don't make excuses and they play hard and have good energy," Fisher said. "This is a tough conference and you see a lot of splits in double headers. You're going to see dogfight after dogfight in our conference."
Â
Looking forward to the rest of the season ahead of the Rams, the team is taking every game one pitch at a time.
Â
The series against Fresno State is just one more steppingstone to success, and every game, inning, and pitch counts.
Â
"I just feel like every year there's four or five teams that are in the mix," Fisher said. "You cannot take anybody lightly. UNLV is playing really well. They're pitching well, they're hitting well, their defense is great. There's nobody you can take lightly, and you can never take San Diego State lightly. We just have to look at it like the games will help prepare us and not necessarily anything else. We just have to work our plan and execute our plan."
Â
Colorado State will take on the Bulldogs for the last game in the series Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m.
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For the entire season, the Rams had been working through an offensive block. Overall, the team had a record of 8-10 and a Mountain West mark of 2-1, before Saturday's games settling them in a comfortable position of fourth in the Mountain West.
Â
Last weekend against Weber State, the team recorded the highest team batting average of the season at .481. After struggling to find its offensive groove, Colorado State felt confident the team's success was just getting started.
Â
Taking on the first-place team in the conference on Saturday in a doubleheader, the team was walking into the competition ready to build on last weekend's accomplishments.
Â
Fresno State proved to be a force to be reckoned with. When it mattered most, the offensive struggles seemed to fade away and instead made room for a new look for Colorado State, one which included stringing hits together and moving players across the plate.
Â
Despite losing both of the games, 8-3 and 8-7, respectively, the Rams had no reason to be disappointed with such a performance.
Â
"As a team, we were definitely in those games," senior outfielder Tara Shadowen said. "I definitely think we can beat them, and it is so frustrating because we were right there, and then we weren't. We played really good ball, so it's hard to hang our heads about that. We always want to win."
Â
The first game of Saturday's contest started off strong. Fresno State scored one run in the top of the first inning, which CSU responded with back-to-back run-producing hits from Haley Donaldson and Peyton Allen. Those two runs remained lonesome as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 8-2 after the top of the seventh inning.
Â
In the bottom of the seventh and CSU's last shot at a rally, Shadowen put up a solo home run for the final tally.
Â
"The last few weekends, I'd been struggling," Shadowen said. "It was more of just relaxing and just hitting and making good contact. That's what happened, and then I just got in the groove after the line drive to left field in the first game."
Â
After a prompt 15-minute break, the second game of the day was underway.
Â
Comparable to the first, the Bulldogs took an early jump on the Rams and tallied a single run in the first inning, but then both teams hit a dry spell until the offensive explosion from the fourth inning through the end of the game.
Â
Colorado State's fourth frame put four runs on the board, putting them ahead of the Bulldogs for the first time in the contest. The rally during the inning was thanks to Shadowen, who put up two runs for the Rams from her second home run of the day.
Â
Trailing by three going into the seventh inning, CSU's Ashley Michelena singled to third base and Allen drove her in to leave the Rams trailing by two. A RBI grounder from Donaldson left a one run margin between the teams, and Colorado State couldn't find a gap in the field.
Â
But coach Jen Fisher isn't even upset with how the games ended.
Â
"I think our players don't make excuses and they play hard and have good energy," Fisher said. "This is a tough conference and you see a lot of splits in double headers. You're going to see dogfight after dogfight in our conference."
Â
Looking forward to the rest of the season ahead of the Rams, the team is taking every game one pitch at a time.
Â
The series against Fresno State is just one more steppingstone to success, and every game, inning, and pitch counts.
Â
"I just feel like every year there's four or five teams that are in the mix," Fisher said. "You cannot take anybody lightly. UNLV is playing really well. They're pitching well, they're hitting well, their defense is great. There's nobody you can take lightly, and you can never take San Diego State lightly. We just have to look at it like the games will help prepare us and not necessarily anything else. We just have to work our plan and execute our plan."
Â
Colorado State will take on the Bulldogs for the last game in the series Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DOLCINI, Hailey (13-3)
L: Jarecki, Jessica (3-4)
Batting:
2B: NORIEGA, Adrianna 1
HR: JENNINGS, Kaitlyn 1 ; HERNANDEZ, Vanessa 1 ; BROUSSARD, Schuylar 1
RBI: JENNINGS, Kaitlyn 1 ; Mattson, Keahilele 2 ; HERNANDEZ, Vanessa 1 ; DENBY, Alesia 1 ; BROUSSARD, Schuylar 1
SH: GALVAN, Hayleigh 1 ; ROHLEDER, Miranda 1
SF: Mattson, Keahilele 2 ; DENBY, Alesia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: JENNINGS, Kaitlyn 3 ; HERNANDEZ, Vanessa 1 ; NORIEGA, Adrianna 1 ; BROUSSARD, Schuylar 1 ; PRESTON, Alexandra 1 ; CUEVAS, Aaliyah 1
Batting:
HR: Shadowen, Tara 1
RBI: Donaldson, Haley 1 ; Gamboa, Corina 1 ; Shadowen, Tara 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Michelena, Ashley 1 ; Allen, Peyton 1 ; Shadowen, Tara 1
CS: Donaldson, Haley 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
MI/C
/ SoftballSS
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
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