Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, May 6
Reno, NV
11:30 AM
Colorado State
7
at
8
Nevada
Rams Fall to Nevada in Regular Season Finale
5/6/2023 4:15:00 PM | Softball
Colorado State now sets its eyes on the post-season
RENO, Nev. – The Colorado State softball team fell to the Nevada Wolf Pack in the Mountain West Conference regular season finale Saturday afternoon as the Wolf Pack walked off the Rams in the seventh inning, winning by a score of 8-7.
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As two high powered offenses entered into Saturday's rubber match, Colorado State was battling for seeding in next week's Mountain West Tournament with Nevada looking to control its own fate by clinching a berth into the tournament themselves with a win.
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With both teams trading runs and rallies back and forth all series, Colorado State's offense got off to a bit of a slow start in game three. With Nevada retiring the Rams in order during the first and second inning, senior Kaitlyn Cook got the Rams' first hit of the day to lead off the third inning as Colorado State was already at a 2-0 deficit due to a run from the Wolf Pack in both opening frames.
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Cook's single created an offensive spark for the Rams as Brooke Bohlender would put two runners on with a single of her own. After a sacrifice bunt by Peyton Allen put both runners in scoring position, the Wolf Pack intentionally walked Ashley York who was hitting at a .500 clip during the series so far. A fielder's choice off the bat of Maya Matsubara would score Cook from third to put the Rams on the board.
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The next inning, in a game where success felt very dependent on momentum for either side, rain started to come down hard in Reno as the game was moved into a 40-minute rain delay in the middle of the fourth inning. After emerging from the rain delay, neither offense seemed affected by the break in the action, if anything, both teams were looking to take advantage of the now slick field conditions.
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The Wolf Pack increased their lead to two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after scoring a run and capitalizing on a leadoff walk issued by Colorado State.
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In the fifth inning, during the third time around the lineup, the Rams were able to rally four runs across, all coming with two outs as Colorado State's top of the order hit five doubles in a row in which Rams just kept trading places with each other over and over again. York started the rally with a double to the right center gap followed by doubles from Matsubara, Hailey Smith, Molly Gates and Allen before the inning was over. Colorado State entered the bottom of the fifth in control of a 5-3 lead.
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A two-out rally for Nevada would follow in the bottom half of the inning as the Wolf Pack would tie the game with a Haley Painter home run to left field.
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Returning to the series theme of back and forth runs and lead changes, Colorado State reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth inning as Morgan Crosby, pinch running for Cook after she hit a leadoff single, came around to score off the bat of Jordan West and then another double from York scored Morgan Coleman, who pinch ran for West.
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Nevada answered with two more runs again in the bottom of the sixth and after not scoring any runs in the top of the seventh, Colorado State felt the burn of a senior day walk off in the bottom of the seventh, similar to the walk off win they were able to experience on senior day at Ram Field last weekend. The Wolf Pack's Gabby Herrera singled to right field, scoring the Nevada runner from second and closing out the regular season handing Colorado State an 8-7 loss.
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The Rams will now set their eyes on the Mountain West Tournament hosted next week, May 11-13 by San Diego State where Colorado State will enter as the No. 3 seed and face off against Nevada again in the first round of the tournament. The tournament will be the first conference championship tournament hosted by the Mountain West in 17 seasons and will be double elimination with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament which will begin May 19.
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As two high powered offenses entered into Saturday's rubber match, Colorado State was battling for seeding in next week's Mountain West Tournament with Nevada looking to control its own fate by clinching a berth into the tournament themselves with a win.
Â
With both teams trading runs and rallies back and forth all series, Colorado State's offense got off to a bit of a slow start in game three. With Nevada retiring the Rams in order during the first and second inning, senior Kaitlyn Cook got the Rams' first hit of the day to lead off the third inning as Colorado State was already at a 2-0 deficit due to a run from the Wolf Pack in both opening frames.
Â
Cook's single created an offensive spark for the Rams as Brooke Bohlender would put two runners on with a single of her own. After a sacrifice bunt by Peyton Allen put both runners in scoring position, the Wolf Pack intentionally walked Ashley York who was hitting at a .500 clip during the series so far. A fielder's choice off the bat of Maya Matsubara would score Cook from third to put the Rams on the board.
Â
The next inning, in a game where success felt very dependent on momentum for either side, rain started to come down hard in Reno as the game was moved into a 40-minute rain delay in the middle of the fourth inning. After emerging from the rain delay, neither offense seemed affected by the break in the action, if anything, both teams were looking to take advantage of the now slick field conditions.
Â
The Wolf Pack increased their lead to two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after scoring a run and capitalizing on a leadoff walk issued by Colorado State.
Â
In the fifth inning, during the third time around the lineup, the Rams were able to rally four runs across, all coming with two outs as Colorado State's top of the order hit five doubles in a row in which Rams just kept trading places with each other over and over again. York started the rally with a double to the right center gap followed by doubles from Matsubara, Hailey Smith, Molly Gates and Allen before the inning was over. Colorado State entered the bottom of the fifth in control of a 5-3 lead.
Â
A two-out rally for Nevada would follow in the bottom half of the inning as the Wolf Pack would tie the game with a Haley Painter home run to left field.
Â
Returning to the series theme of back and forth runs and lead changes, Colorado State reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth inning as Morgan Crosby, pinch running for Cook after she hit a leadoff single, came around to score off the bat of Jordan West and then another double from York scored Morgan Coleman, who pinch ran for West.
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Nevada answered with two more runs again in the bottom of the sixth and after not scoring any runs in the top of the seventh, Colorado State felt the burn of a senior day walk off in the bottom of the seventh, similar to the walk off win they were able to experience on senior day at Ram Field last weekend. The Wolf Pack's Gabby Herrera singled to right field, scoring the Nevada runner from second and closing out the regular season handing Colorado State an 8-7 loss.
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The Rams will now set their eyes on the Mountain West Tournament hosted next week, May 11-13 by San Diego State where Colorado State will enter as the No. 3 seed and face off against Nevada again in the first round of the tournament. The tournament will be the first conference championship tournament hosted by the Mountain West in 17 seasons and will be double elimination with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament which will begin May 19.
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Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
C/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
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