Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, April 1
Fort Collins, CO
6:00 PM
Colorado State
17-11, 3-4
6
vs
9
UNLV
17-16, 3-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
UNLV
6
0
0
1
0
2
0
9
12
0
Colorado State
0
1
1
0
0
0
4
6
11
3
Rebels spoil Grand Opening Game
4/1/2023 10:36:00 PM | Softball
A first-inning runaway did the Rams in
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – A grand event it was. A grand finale it could've been, but a sour loss to take.
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The UNLV Lady Rebels won their second straight over the Colorado State Rams at Ram Field 9-6 on Saturday evening. Thanks to a run-filled first inning to put the game out of reach early, they will take the weekend series over the Rams.
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"That first inning, yuck," head coach Jen Fisher said. "We just keep doing that. We're not going to stop fighting, we've got the offense."
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Despite the early 6-0 deficit, the Rams (17-11, 3-4) kept fighting as they have all season. They only held the Lady Rebels (17-16, 3-5) to three runs in the remaining six innings, causing them to leave 10 players on base.
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Meanwhile, on the offensive side of things, the Rams ever so slowly chipped away at the lead they'd given up. It was a four-run game in the middle portion of the game thanks to a Peyton Allen blast over the center- field fence.
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"Last night I was pretty upset because I felt like I didn't come through for my team," Allen said. "I talked to one of my old teammates, and asked you always came through for your team the next day, how did you do it? Got some pointers, and she told me less is more. I trusted my swing."
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Allen ended the night 2-for-4 at the plate with the home run and an RBI tacked onto it as well. She wasn't the only one to clear the fence for the Rams on the evening either.
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Hailey Smith also cleared the wall in a four-run seventh inning to which the Rams fought back in and made things fun and interesting before the final out. However, Smith was on the other end of a home run, an inside-the-park one, from April Visser in the first inning thanks to her error in the field.
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"It kind of hit the snake on the ball, and it was spinning on me," Smith said. "I didn't put my glove down in time, which was an error on me, one thousand percent. I own up to that, and it won't happen again."
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Pitching over the last two games has been a rough stretch. Sydney Hornbuckle got the start Friday night but was quickly called into action after the six-run first inning when Julia Cabral was chased just after 0.2 innings.
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Hornbuckle did what she could as well before Danielle Serna entered the mound as well. The two combined for giving up eight hits, six strikeouts, 120 pitches, and an ERA of 3.56.
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"Julia is just coming back, and I thought this outing was better than her last outing," Fisher said. "I really liked the way we played, and we'll get them again tomorrow."
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The combination of rough pitching and fielding errors ultimately haunted the Rams. Colorado State recorded three errors, which didn't help in the turmoil of the game early.
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The Lady Rebels seemed to find the gaps through the infield and get balls to the outfield grass. UNLV had the bats rolling and able to get the ball in play, whereas the Rams couldn't do so early on.
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"Our defense let us down," Fisher said. "I mean gosh, they (UNLV) have had so many hits through the middle where we've been misaligned I guess. I honestly feel like their team has gotten pretty lucky with base hits. They're a good team, but they've found so many holes that's been really tough to deal with, they've been hurting us."
Â
But the early play and ultimate resilience of coming back in the game yet again didn't faze coach Fisher. They had to trust in the process and come back in it in any way they could, both in the batter's box and in the field.
Â
Part of the ultimate resilience included a throw-out from Ashley York from center field to home plate to end the fifth inning got the crowd to roar in celebration. But, even then, the bats went cold in the middle of the game.
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The Rams had the bases loaded three times but didn't convert on any of those opportunities. They also did not get a single hit with two outs while the Lady Rebels had five.
Â
"They can score six throughout the whole game," Allen said. "I was never worried. I feel like our offense always comes through. We're a team that fights, so I never get scared or down."
Â
While the game may not have played out as people had hoped, the official first home night game in program history was a spectacle. Fans clamored around the facility, with every bleacher taken, leaving standing room only around the stadium, and fans lined outside of the outfield fence.
Â
Fisher threw out the first pitch to commemorate the event alongside Athletic Director Joe Parker, and fans were eager for the night ahead. It gave a true sense of feeling and belonging with several softball alumni coming back as well.
Â
"It's amazing how many people showed up today, that's something we all love in this new stadium that makes this happen," Smith said. "It just looks beautiful. When it's cold and we have to practice inside, it honestly just makes me sad now because I want to be out here all the time. I just love it, I'm soaking it all up."
Â
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The UNLV Lady Rebels won their second straight over the Colorado State Rams at Ram Field 9-6 on Saturday evening. Thanks to a run-filled first inning to put the game out of reach early, they will take the weekend series over the Rams.
Â
"That first inning, yuck," head coach Jen Fisher said. "We just keep doing that. We're not going to stop fighting, we've got the offense."
Â
Despite the early 6-0 deficit, the Rams (17-11, 3-4) kept fighting as they have all season. They only held the Lady Rebels (17-16, 3-5) to three runs in the remaining six innings, causing them to leave 10 players on base.
Â
Meanwhile, on the offensive side of things, the Rams ever so slowly chipped away at the lead they'd given up. It was a four-run game in the middle portion of the game thanks to a Peyton Allen blast over the center- field fence.
Â
"Last night I was pretty upset because I felt like I didn't come through for my team," Allen said. "I talked to one of my old teammates, and asked you always came through for your team the next day, how did you do it? Got some pointers, and she told me less is more. I trusted my swing."
Â
Allen ended the night 2-for-4 at the plate with the home run and an RBI tacked onto it as well. She wasn't the only one to clear the fence for the Rams on the evening either.
Â
Hailey Smith also cleared the wall in a four-run seventh inning to which the Rams fought back in and made things fun and interesting before the final out. However, Smith was on the other end of a home run, an inside-the-park one, from April Visser in the first inning thanks to her error in the field.
Â
"It kind of hit the snake on the ball, and it was spinning on me," Smith said. "I didn't put my glove down in time, which was an error on me, one thousand percent. I own up to that, and it won't happen again."
Â
Pitching over the last two games has been a rough stretch. Sydney Hornbuckle got the start Friday night but was quickly called into action after the six-run first inning when Julia Cabral was chased just after 0.2 innings.
Â
Hornbuckle did what she could as well before Danielle Serna entered the mound as well. The two combined for giving up eight hits, six strikeouts, 120 pitches, and an ERA of 3.56.
Â
"Julia is just coming back, and I thought this outing was better than her last outing," Fisher said. "I really liked the way we played, and we'll get them again tomorrow."
Â
The combination of rough pitching and fielding errors ultimately haunted the Rams. Colorado State recorded three errors, which didn't help in the turmoil of the game early.
Â
The Lady Rebels seemed to find the gaps through the infield and get balls to the outfield grass. UNLV had the bats rolling and able to get the ball in play, whereas the Rams couldn't do so early on.
Â
"Our defense let us down," Fisher said. "I mean gosh, they (UNLV) have had so many hits through the middle where we've been misaligned I guess. I honestly feel like their team has gotten pretty lucky with base hits. They're a good team, but they've found so many holes that's been really tough to deal with, they've been hurting us."
Â
But the early play and ultimate resilience of coming back in the game yet again didn't faze coach Fisher. They had to trust in the process and come back in it in any way they could, both in the batter's box and in the field.
Â
Part of the ultimate resilience included a throw-out from Ashley York from center field to home plate to end the fifth inning got the crowd to roar in celebration. But, even then, the bats went cold in the middle of the game.
Â
The Rams had the bases loaded three times but didn't convert on any of those opportunities. They also did not get a single hit with two outs while the Lady Rebels had five.
Â
"They can score six throughout the whole game," Allen said. "I was never worried. I feel like our offense always comes through. We're a team that fights, so I never get scared or down."
Â
While the game may not have played out as people had hoped, the official first home night game in program history was a spectacle. Fans clamored around the facility, with every bleacher taken, leaving standing room only around the stadium, and fans lined outside of the outfield fence.
Â
Fisher threw out the first pitch to commemorate the event alongside Athletic Director Joe Parker, and fans were eager for the night ahead. It gave a true sense of feeling and belonging with several softball alumni coming back as well.
Â
"It's amazing how many people showed up today, that's something we all love in this new stadium that makes this happen," Smith said. "It just looks beautiful. When it's cold and we have to practice inside, it honestly just makes me sad now because I want to be out here all the time. I just love it, I'm soaking it all up."
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: THIEDE. A. (1-1)
L: Cabral, Julia (0-2)
Batting:
HR: VISSER, April 1
RBI: VISSER, April 1 ; KELSO, Kelsie 1 ; ARMENDARIZ, Denise 2 ; MORALES, Sofia 1 ; MARTIN, Janyssa 1 ; SHAW, Skyler 1
SH: SCHMIDT, Maddie 1 ; SHAW, Skyler 1
SF: KELSO, Kelsie 1 ; ARMENDARIZ, Denise 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SCHMIDT, Maddie 1 ; VISSER, April 3 ; MARTINEZ, Ariana 1 ; BOWMAN, Marissa 1 ; ARMENDARIZ, Denise 1 ; MARTIN, Janyssa 1 ; SHAW, Skyler 1
SB: SHAW, Skyler 1
HBP: MARTIN, Janyssa 1
Batting:
2B: Gates, Molly 1 ; Smith, Hailey 1 ; Serna, Danielle 1 ; Matsubara, Maya 1
HR: Allen, Peyton 1 ; Smith, Hailey 1
RBI: Allen, Peyton 1 ; York, Ashley 1 ; Smith, Hailey 2 ; Matsubara, Maya 1 ; Cook, Kaitlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gates, Molly 1 ; Allen, Peyton 1 ; York, Ashley 1 ; Smith, Hailey 2 ; Crosby, Morgan 1
HBP: Hornbuckle, Sydney 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
P/INF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
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