Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, March 25
Fort Collins, CO
4:00 PM
Colorado State
9-16, 1-3
6
vs
4
San Jose State
16-11, 2-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
San Jose State
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
4
9
3
Colorado State
2
0
0
1
1
2
X
6
8
0
Rams Rally to Win Home Conference Opener
3/25/2022 7:15:00 PM | Softball
Team speed pays off in win over San Jose State
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Friday's start was the opposite of ideal.
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Giving up a trio of runs in the top of the first to San Jose State – off a two-out homer, no less – was not what Colorado State desired after a three-loss road trip to San Diego State the weekend prior. There was a bit of pressure, immediately, on Colorado State's hitters coming to the plate, as well as the pitchers in the circle.
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It fit almost into the dynamic of what pitching coach Dedeann Pendleton-Helm had requested of her group during the week. Offensively, it spilled into the pressure the Rams' offense has been trying to generate with the stable of speed they feel they possess.
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Given seven innings to work with, it all came together to produce a 6-4 victory at Ram Field, moving the team to 9-16 overall, 1-3 in the Mountain West with two more games this weekend against the Spartans.
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"You would never know we were down 3-0 in the first inning," left fielder Ashley York said. "We just chipped away. We didn't immediately take the lead; it took us a while to get the lead. That's what this game is, back and forth. I think we really held our own, stuck to the plan and didn't worry about what they did."
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York – who had two of the Rams' eight hits and scored twice -- took the first key step in the batter's box, drilling her conference-leading fifth triple of the season to get things started. After Peyton Allen followed with a walk, the team was able to insert speed into the equation, as Allen and York pulled off a double steal, with an error allowing Allen to come around and make it a 3-2 game.
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York and Allen would each steal two bases on the day, with York's second leading to a run as the first attempt to stop her sailed into center field, followed by a return throw almost into the CSU dugout, allowing York to tie the game at 4 in the fifth inning. It was in response to SJSU regaining the lead on a single after Maya Matsubara had tied the game at 3 with a homer to right, her first blast of the year and part of a two-hit, two-run day.
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Colorado State has struggled at times to score runs, either not getting enough hits or lacking the key ones with runners in scoring position. But stealing bases is not only a way for the Rams to move up 60 feet, but also put runs on the board.
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"We've got speed, and we have a lot of hustle on this team, so I think we've been really working on making that part of our game," head coach Jen Fisher said. "We just took the extra bases when they were there. They were great reads. I don't do much for them. I tell them I'm your cheerleader and stop sign, and if you get the read, you go. Morgan scoring on that passed ball was great.
Â
"We just have a lot of speed. We work hard on running the bases, and I think it hasn't quite shown up as much as it did right there. It was great to put pressure on them. That was exciting."
Â
The steals were the first of the young conference season for CSU, which hasn't been running much this month – just two steals in four attempts since March appeared on the calendar.
The expectation now is to use the green light Fisher gives them, as well as seeing the right opportunity to snare a bag one a ball hit into the outfield, or even one cut loose by a pitcher, which Morgan Coleman did to supply the sixth run for a two-run cushion heading to the seventh, following an RBI fielder's choice by Sydney Hornbuckle.
Â
What made it all possible was the work done by reliever Jetta Nannen in the circle. She entered in the second and provided five strong innings, striking out six and allowing just one run. She was a late addition to the roster this, a local product (she prepped in Longmont) who transferred in from Hawaii.
Â
Naturally, she's wanted to make a positive impression, and she called the move a bit "intimidating" at times, trying to figure out where she fits in to the collection of arms the Rams possess.
Â
Friday, she did that.
Â
"We worked really hard this week at practice, and we worked on having more grit on the mound, and I think that helped me a lot in the game today," Nannen said. "For me, it's having more self confidence and having that swagger about myself. It gives me a lot of confidence in myself, but I have to build on that every day and get better as I go on."
Â
She allowed five hits, but walked just one batter, which was important. The Rams have been issuing too many free passes, averaging 2.6 walks per game and nearly a hit batter an outing (Nannen did drill one Spartan). However, she bore down when needed, limiting damage as she used her changeup with great success, either to get ahead of a hitter or sit one down in earning her fourth win.
Â
She allowed a lead-off double in the top of the seventh, then gave way to Julia Cabral. She opened with a strikeout, then a deep fly out, but after a hit batter, induced a groundout for the team's first save of the season.
Â
The next step in grit for the pitchers is to limit the two-run damage, as all of San Jose State's runs came with two outs in an inning.
Â
Yet, as ominous as a start as the Rams had in their home conference opener, the end of the afternoon felt really good, like a burden had been lifted. They are no longer chasing the first conference win, just the next one, with opportunities Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (12 p.m.) in front of them.
Â
"I think getting one win is good for us," York said. "Last weekend was tough for us, but we know they're not going to roll over for us Saturday or Sunday, so it's just knowing it's going to be a dogfight every time we step on the field."
Â
Â
Giving up a trio of runs in the top of the first to San Jose State – off a two-out homer, no less – was not what Colorado State desired after a three-loss road trip to San Diego State the weekend prior. There was a bit of pressure, immediately, on Colorado State's hitters coming to the plate, as well as the pitchers in the circle.
Â
It fit almost into the dynamic of what pitching coach Dedeann Pendleton-Helm had requested of her group during the week. Offensively, it spilled into the pressure the Rams' offense has been trying to generate with the stable of speed they feel they possess.
Â
Given seven innings to work with, it all came together to produce a 6-4 victory at Ram Field, moving the team to 9-16 overall, 1-3 in the Mountain West with two more games this weekend against the Spartans.
Â
"You would never know we were down 3-0 in the first inning," left fielder Ashley York said. "We just chipped away. We didn't immediately take the lead; it took us a while to get the lead. That's what this game is, back and forth. I think we really held our own, stuck to the plan and didn't worry about what they did."
Â
York – who had two of the Rams' eight hits and scored twice -- took the first key step in the batter's box, drilling her conference-leading fifth triple of the season to get things started. After Peyton Allen followed with a walk, the team was able to insert speed into the equation, as Allen and York pulled off a double steal, with an error allowing Allen to come around and make it a 3-2 game.
Â
York and Allen would each steal two bases on the day, with York's second leading to a run as the first attempt to stop her sailed into center field, followed by a return throw almost into the CSU dugout, allowing York to tie the game at 4 in the fifth inning. It was in response to SJSU regaining the lead on a single after Maya Matsubara had tied the game at 3 with a homer to right, her first blast of the year and part of a two-hit, two-run day.
Â
Colorado State has struggled at times to score runs, either not getting enough hits or lacking the key ones with runners in scoring position. But stealing bases is not only a way for the Rams to move up 60 feet, but also put runs on the board.
Â
"We've got speed, and we have a lot of hustle on this team, so I think we've been really working on making that part of our game," head coach Jen Fisher said. "We just took the extra bases when they were there. They were great reads. I don't do much for them. I tell them I'm your cheerleader and stop sign, and if you get the read, you go. Morgan scoring on that passed ball was great.
Â
"We just have a lot of speed. We work hard on running the bases, and I think it hasn't quite shown up as much as it did right there. It was great to put pressure on them. That was exciting."
Â
The steals were the first of the young conference season for CSU, which hasn't been running much this month – just two steals in four attempts since March appeared on the calendar.
The expectation now is to use the green light Fisher gives them, as well as seeing the right opportunity to snare a bag one a ball hit into the outfield, or even one cut loose by a pitcher, which Morgan Coleman did to supply the sixth run for a two-run cushion heading to the seventh, following an RBI fielder's choice by Sydney Hornbuckle.
Â
What made it all possible was the work done by reliever Jetta Nannen in the circle. She entered in the second and provided five strong innings, striking out six and allowing just one run. She was a late addition to the roster this, a local product (she prepped in Longmont) who transferred in from Hawaii.
Â
Naturally, she's wanted to make a positive impression, and she called the move a bit "intimidating" at times, trying to figure out where she fits in to the collection of arms the Rams possess.
Â
Friday, she did that.
Â
"We worked really hard this week at practice, and we worked on having more grit on the mound, and I think that helped me a lot in the game today," Nannen said. "For me, it's having more self confidence and having that swagger about myself. It gives me a lot of confidence in myself, but I have to build on that every day and get better as I go on."
Â
She allowed five hits, but walked just one batter, which was important. The Rams have been issuing too many free passes, averaging 2.6 walks per game and nearly a hit batter an outing (Nannen did drill one Spartan). However, she bore down when needed, limiting damage as she used her changeup with great success, either to get ahead of a hitter or sit one down in earning her fourth win.
Â
She allowed a lead-off double in the top of the seventh, then gave way to Julia Cabral. She opened with a strikeout, then a deep fly out, but after a hit batter, induced a groundout for the team's first save of the season.
Â
The next step in grit for the pitchers is to limit the two-run damage, as all of San Jose State's runs came with two outs in an inning.
Â
Yet, as ominous as a start as the Rams had in their home conference opener, the end of the afternoon felt really good, like a burden had been lifted. They are no longer chasing the first conference win, just the next one, with opportunities Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (12 p.m.) in front of them.
Â
"I think getting one win is good for us," York said. "Last weekend was tough for us, but we know they're not going to roll over for us Saturday or Sunday, so it's just knowing it's going to be a dogfight every time we step on the field."
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nannen, Jetta (4-2)
L: Ullegue, Jenessa (11-2)
S: Cabral, Julia (1)
Batting:
2B: Ullegue, Jenessa 1
HR: Bergesen, Karizma 1
RBI: Rico, Ashley 1 ; Bergesen, Karizma 3
SH: Giacoma, Jessica 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Graham, Alyssa 1 ; Ullegue, Jenessa 2 ; Bergesen, Karizma 1
HBP: Edwards, Trenity 1 ; Bergesen, Karizma 1
Batting:
3B: York, Ashley 1
HR: Matsubara, Maya 1
RBI: Matsubara, Maya 1 ; Hornbuckle, Sydney 1
SH: Michelena, Ashley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: York, Ashley 2 ; Allen, Peyton 1 ; Matsubara, Maya 2 ; Coleman, Morgan 1
SB: York, Ashley 2 ; Allen, Peyton 2
CS: McVay, Makenna 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
MI/C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
MINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballColorado State Softball: Highlights vs. San Jose State
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Colorado State Softball: Highlights vs. San Jose State Game Two
Saturday, March 26
RamWire: Coach Fisher One-On-One
Tuesday, May 14