Colorado State University Athletics
Sunday, February 19
Riverside, CA
1:30 PM
Colorado State
7-3, 0
6
vs
5
Cal Baptist
4-6, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
California Baptist
2
0
0
3
0
0
0
5
6
2
Colorado State
0
0
2
1
2
1
X
6
10
2
Colorado State Wins Cal Baptist Classic
2/19/2023 6:49:00 PM | Softball
Bohlender goes 3-3 with clutch, seventh inning throw out to send the Rams home as champions
RIVERSIDE, Cal. – The Colorado State softball team will return to Fort Collins as Cal Baptist Classic Champions as the Rams took down the host-team Lancers Sunday afternoon by a score of 6-5.
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In an all-around team win for Colorado State, eight different Rams reached base at least once a part of CSU's total 10 team hits. Catcher Brooke Bohlender led the way offensively for the Rams as the sophomore went 3-3 and scored a run, hitting in the nine spot.
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Outfielders Ashley York and Molly Gates both had two hits on the day as well, with Hailey Smith totaling a game high two RBIs.
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Danielle Serna would earn her third save of the season after entering the circle in relief for starter Sydney Hornbuckle. Serna pitched three and one thirds innings only allowing one hit with three strikeouts including a caught-looking strikeout to win the game for Colorado State.
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Things started out a bit shaky in the first inning for Colorado State. After giving up two runs in the top half of the first, the Rams found themselves at an early deficit. It wasn't until the bottom of the third inning and the second time through the lineup that the strong Colorado State offense began to catch its stride.
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After Bohlender led off the inning with one of her three hits, Gates was hit by a pitch to set up runners on first and second with no outs for CSU. A wild pitch would advance the runners before York scored Gates on a deep infield groundout and Smith scored teammate Peyton Allen with an infield single. Just like that, the game was tied at two.
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The Lancers responded by scoring three more runs in the top of the fourth, setting up a comeback win for the Rams. Colorado State would take one run off of Cal Baptist's lead in the bottom of the fourth as a Gates single scored Maya Matsubara.
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Running out of outs to work with, the Rams started the bottom of the fifth inning strong with a York double to the left center gap. Smith then reached on an error in the next at-bat, moving York over to third base. With runners at the corners, York was able to race home and score after a wild pitch got past the Cal Baptist catcher. Still with no outs, Kaitlyn Cook picked up her first RBI of the game off a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Smith and tying the game once again.
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Serna returned to the circle in the sixth inning in full lock-down mode, putting up a one-two-three inning for the Rams' defense.
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Things started out strong again for Colorado State in the bottom of the sixth as Bohlender and Gates both singled to start the inning followed by a fielder's choice from York that earned the Rams bases loaded. Smith plated her second RBI of the game with a fielder's choice hit to the shortstop, scoring Bohlender.
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Serna surrendered her only hit of the day in the top of the seventh, but just when it felt like Cal Baptist had momentum bringing the winning run to the plate, Bohlender caught Priscilla Estrada stealing at second base putting the Lancers down to their final out. A caught-looking strikeout on the outside corner was all Serna needed to seal the victory and the championship for the Rams.
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Colorado State will return to action next weekend at the Texas State Invitational in San Marcos, Texas. Facing the likes of Texas State, UT Arlington, UTSA and Kansas, the Rams will start the invitational versus UT Arlington Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.
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In an all-around team win for Colorado State, eight different Rams reached base at least once a part of CSU's total 10 team hits. Catcher Brooke Bohlender led the way offensively for the Rams as the sophomore went 3-3 and scored a run, hitting in the nine spot.
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Outfielders Ashley York and Molly Gates both had two hits on the day as well, with Hailey Smith totaling a game high two RBIs.
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Danielle Serna would earn her third save of the season after entering the circle in relief for starter Sydney Hornbuckle. Serna pitched three and one thirds innings only allowing one hit with three strikeouts including a caught-looking strikeout to win the game for Colorado State.
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Things started out a bit shaky in the first inning for Colorado State. After giving up two runs in the top half of the first, the Rams found themselves at an early deficit. It wasn't until the bottom of the third inning and the second time through the lineup that the strong Colorado State offense began to catch its stride.
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After Bohlender led off the inning with one of her three hits, Gates was hit by a pitch to set up runners on first and second with no outs for CSU. A wild pitch would advance the runners before York scored Gates on a deep infield groundout and Smith scored teammate Peyton Allen with an infield single. Just like that, the game was tied at two.
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The Lancers responded by scoring three more runs in the top of the fourth, setting up a comeback win for the Rams. Colorado State would take one run off of Cal Baptist's lead in the bottom of the fourth as a Gates single scored Maya Matsubara.
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Running out of outs to work with, the Rams started the bottom of the fifth inning strong with a York double to the left center gap. Smith then reached on an error in the next at-bat, moving York over to third base. With runners at the corners, York was able to race home and score after a wild pitch got past the Cal Baptist catcher. Still with no outs, Kaitlyn Cook picked up her first RBI of the game off a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Smith and tying the game once again.
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Serna returned to the circle in the sixth inning in full lock-down mode, putting up a one-two-three inning for the Rams' defense.
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Things started out strong again for Colorado State in the bottom of the sixth as Bohlender and Gates both singled to start the inning followed by a fielder's choice from York that earned the Rams bases loaded. Smith plated her second RBI of the game with a fielder's choice hit to the shortstop, scoring Bohlender.
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Serna surrendered her only hit of the day in the top of the seventh, but just when it felt like Cal Baptist had momentum bringing the winning run to the plate, Bohlender caught Priscilla Estrada stealing at second base putting the Lancers down to their final out. A caught-looking strikeout on the outside corner was all Serna needed to seal the victory and the championship for the Rams.
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Colorado State will return to action next weekend at the Texas State Invitational in San Marcos, Texas. Facing the likes of Texas State, UT Arlington, UTSA and Kansas, the Rams will start the invitational versus UT Arlington Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Serna, Danielle (2-1)
L: P HOSICK (2-2)
Batting:
2B: P ESTRADA 1
RBI: P ESTRADA 1 ; M MARTINEZ 1 ; S DEMYON 1 ; A ANNETT 1
Base Running:
RUNS: P ESTRADA 1 ; N ELIAS 1 ; S SOTO 1 ; M SAN PEDRO 1 ; R MCDANIEL 1
SB: N ELIAS 1 ; S DEMYON 1
CS: P ESTRADA 1
HBP: D WESTBROOK 1
Batting:
2B: York, Ashley 1
RBI: Gates, Molly 1 ; York, Ashley 1 ; Smith, Hailey 2 ; Cook, Kaitlyn 1
SF: Cook, Kaitlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gates, Molly 1 ; Allen, Peyton 1 ; York, Ashley 1 ; Smith, Hailey 1 ; Matsubara, Maya 1 ; Bohlender, Brooke 1
HBP: Gates, Molly 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballC/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P/INF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
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