Rams Take Down San Diego in Torero Classic Finale

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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

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Colorado State softball team finished off the Torero Classic with a 4-3 win over host team San Diego Sunday afternoon as the Rams rallied with a late-game comeback to finish the weekend on a high note.

The Rams offense was quiet through the first four innings of the game while starting pitcher Sydney Hornbuckle was in charge of keeping the Torero offense at bay. San Diego attacked the Rams with strategic small ball, bunting four times through the first three innings.

San Diego was able to jump on the board first in the bottom of the second inning after a lead off double and a sac bunt from the Toreros put a runner at third with only one out. A San Diego single drove in one run for the Toreros.

In the top of the fifth innings, the Rams' offense came to life with two outs when freshman Jailey Wilson doubled to center field for the Rams first hit of the day. In the next at-bat, Brooke Bohlender drove in the then tying run for the Rams with a single to right field.

After another lead off double, San Diego answered back in the bottom half of the inning with two more runs to regain the lead.

Again with two outs in the top of the sixth, Maya Matsubara drew a walk to spark the Rams offense. Danielle Serna then rocketed a pitch down the right field line where it looked like Matsubara would easily score while Serna rounded for a triple attempt. But the ball rolled under the outfield fence and resulted in a ground rule double, holding Matsubara at third and Serna at second.

Alas, an unfortunate ruling turned around for the Rams when Matsubara scored on a wild pitch in Colorado State's next at bat.

Now within one, Hailey Smith stepped back into the batter's box with Serna, the tying run, only 60 feet away. In her two previous at-bats, Smith had hit the ball hard, but inevitably right into the defense, leaving her hitless on the day so far.

Putting the ball in play, Smith hit a slow-rolling grounder to second base, but hustling down the line came Smith who slid into first base safely, securing the infield hit and scoring the tying run for the Rams.

"I was just thinking, for my team, I'm doing everything I can to score this run and I had no shame in diving at first, because it makes things happen and they don't usually expect it, but I really was just trying to do anything I could to get on base," Smith said.

"Hailey's play was just a underrated thing where maybe she wanted to be safe, but she wanted to score that run more. It was a big confidence boost for us and it kind of switched the momentum," teammate Peyton Allen said.

In the bottom of the sixth, Hornbuckle kept the Torero's off the scoreboard to send the Rams back on offense.

San Diego opted to make a pitching change in the seventh, but a lead off walk, this time to Allen, gave the Rams a base runner to begin the final frame. Wilson came up big again with a single to right center, advancing Allen all the way to third base with no one out.

"We never thought that we were out of it. We go into these games wanting to win everything and every game. So even when they scored, I think we all had each other's back so well that we were just looking to pass the bat, score runs and that's exactly what happened," Allen said.

Bohlender gave Colorado State the game winning RBI with a sacrifice-fly to center field, plenty deep enough to score Allen from third base.

The bottom of the seventh was a one-two-three inning from Hornbuckle with senior Molly Gates making the game winning catch in left field to secure the 4-3 comeback victory for Colorado State.

Serna and Wilson both finished 2-3 on the day with Smith, Gates and Bohlender both adding hits to the tally. Hornbuckle finished her fifth start of the season with one strikeout, eight flyouts and 11 groundouts in 28 batters faced.

Colorado State will travel back home and prep for its next tournament, the Lone Star State Invitational next weekend hosted by Texas. The Rams are scheduled to play three ranked teams through five games next weekend in Austin.

"I don't think there's anyone too big or two small for us. We're just going to play our game, enjoy the moment, be where we're at, compete with some high-level teams and take some things with us to ultimately get into conference and compete there as well," Allen said.

The Rams will play No. 3 Texas, No. 9 Stanford and No. 23 Louisiana next weekend before returning to Fort Collins for their first home games of the season at the Colorado Classic March 1-3.

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