Offense Driven Rams Win Both Games on Day Two of Easton Classic

Calendar

Show:/

Feb 6

10:30 AM

Softball

vs Cal Poly

Feb 6

1:00 PM

Softball

vs Saint Mary's

Feb 7

10:30 AM

Softball

vs San Diego

Feb 7

3:30 PM

Softball

vs UC Davis

Feb 8

10:30 AM

Softball

at Sacramento State

FULLERTON, Calif. – The Colorado State softball team won both of their matchups on day two of the Easton Classic hosted by Cal State Fullerton as the Rams run-ruled the Illinois-Chicago Flames 11-0 before defeating the Southern Utah Thunderbirds 8-1 in game two.

Game 1: Colorado State, 11| Illinois-Chicago 0
Similar to opening day, day two of the Easton Classic started off with a run rule, shutout victory for the Rams with plenty of runs and another stellar performance from Danielle Serna in the circle.

The scoring for the Rams started in the top of the second inning where junior Jordan West hit a triple to right field to lead off the inning. In the next at-bat, junior Carolina Buffaloe recorded her second RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring West from third base.

After Serna pitched another scoreless inning in the bottom of the second, Colorado State scored five runs in the top of the third inning to bat around the order and break open the game. Molly Gates and Serna drew back-to-back walks to start out the inning before Maya Matsubara doubled down the left field line to score Gates for the second run of the game while Katelyn Hornbuckle, who pinch ran for Serna, advanced to third. After Peyton Allen reached on a catcher's interference call, senior Hailey Smith hit the Rams' second triple of the day down the right field line, which cleared the bases for Colorado State, scoring three runs to increase the lead to five. The Rams would score their fifth run of the inning when West put the ball in play and reached on an error, scoring Smith from third.

Again, Serna responded on defense with a one-two-three inning in the circle.

The top of the fourth started the exact same way as the top of the third for the Rams, with both Gates and Serna drawing back-to-back walks. A pitching change by Illinois-Chicago couldn't keep the Rams from loading up the bases as Matsubara drew the third consecutive walk for Colorado State. Allen then scored Gates from third via a sacrifice fly to center field to send the Rams up 7-0.

Two more ground balls in the infield from Smith and West scored both Serna and Matsubara to give the Rams a 9-0 lead by the end of the inning. Serna retired three out of four batters faced in the bottom frame of the inning, pitching a two-hit game through four.

The Rams scored two more runs in the top of the fifth inning as freshman Jaliey Wilson recorded her second hit of the day to lead off the top of the fifth. Back-to-back singles from Gates and Serna loaded the bases for the Rams before a single from Allen to left field scored both Wilson and Gates.

Serna finished the game with three strikeouts in four innings pitched as the Rams entered sophomore Giselle Bentley to close out the fifth inning. With an 11-run advantage, all Bentley and the Rams had to do to seal the victory was record three outs in the bottom of the fifth, which is exactly what they did to earn their second run-rule, shoutout victory of the season.

Game 2: Colorado State, 8 | Southern Utah, 1
Game two featured more heavy hitting from the Rams as Colorado State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead over Southern Utah in the bottom of the first. With York drawing a leadoff walk followed by back-to-back singles by Matsubara and Serna, Allen earned the first RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to center field. Molly Gates then added two more RBI onto her weekend resume with a single up the middle to score Serna and Matsubara.

In the second, it was the top of the order yet again that was able to produce two more runs with two outs. A double from Matsubara scored York, who reached on a fielder's choice, for the fourth run of the game before Serna went back-to-back with doubles, trading placed with Matsubara at second to increase the lead to 5-0.

Through three innings, starting pitcher Sydney Hornbuckle had only allowed three total hits and retired seven Southern Utah batters in order leading into the fourth frame.

Colorado State's lead was extended to seven runs in the third after Gates singled to lead off the inning and Brooke Bohlender hit the Rams' first homerun of the season over the left field fence. Up to this point of the 2024 season, all 24 runs scored by the Rams during opening weekend came via a hit inside the ballpark.

Southern Utah scored their only run in the top of the fourth inning off a solo home run by Ariyana Miranda. A pitching change for Southern Utah kept the Rams from adding to their lead in both the fourth and fifth inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, freshman Reagan Wick made her Colorado State debut in the circle, entering in relief of Hornbuckle. Wick would give up a leadoff hit before retiring three straight Thunderbirds to send the Rams back to the plate. Colorado State added one more insurance run in the sixth inning when Morgan Coleman stole second and then advanced all the way home on a missed throw by the catcher.

Wick closed out the seventh inning without surrendering a hit as the Rams cruised onto an 8-1 victory to move to 2-0 on the day and 3-1 on the season.

Overall, on the day, both Matsubara and Gates went 4-6 at the plate while Smith and Allen both added three RBI over both games. As a pitching staff, the Rams only allowed one earned run off nine hits throughout the entire day.

Colorado State will have a rematch with Cal State Fullerton to close out the Easton Classic tomorrow at noon mountain time.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results