Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, February 9
Fullerton, CA
3:30 PM
Colorado State
1-0
8
vs
0
Pacific
1-1
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Pacific
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
2
Colorado State
2
3
0
2
1
8
9
0
Rams Go 1-1 on Opening Day of 2024 Season
2/9/2024 10:12:00 PM | Softball
Colorado State run-rules Pacific before falling to Cal State Fullerton
FULLERTON, Calif.  – The 2024 softball season started out on fire for the Colorado State softball team, particularly at the plate. In game one of the Easton Classic and game one of the season, the Rams run-ruled the Pacific Tigers 8-0 in five innings before falling to Cal State Fullerton 5-0 in game two.
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Game 1: Colorado State, 8 | Pacific, 0
From the jump, Colorado State's bats were hot. The Rams started 2024 by stringing together three consecutive hits to open up the game and score first. A single by Ashley York, double by Molly Gates and two-RBI single from Maya Matsubara gave Colorado State the 2-0 advantage after the first inning.
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In the second, Colorado State drew base runners via two walks while a fielder's choice hit by Ashley York brought in Morgan Coleman, who was pinch running for Carolina Buffaloe, for the third run of the game. Gates then notched her second hit of the night and first RBI of the season as she brought in Morgan Crosby from third base. A wild pitch then advanced York to third and Gates to second with the score settled at 4-0.
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Looking to avoid a similar situation as the first inning, Matsubara drew the walk in her second at-bat to load the bases for the Rams. Two at-bats later, Danielle Serna took the hit-by-pitch for her first RBI of the season, scoring York from third. Colorado State would finish the second inning up 5-0.
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Serna then turned around to throw two more shutout innings in the circle before tallying another RBI in the bottom of the fourth, this time scoring Gates. Putting the ball in play resulted in good outcomes for the Rams all night as a passed ball, an error and a fielder's choice earned Colorado State base runners in order to score another run in the fourth frame off the bat of Hailey Smith who scored Matsubara on a sac fly to left field.
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To start the fifth, Buffaloe drew her second walk of the night before advancing to second on a wild pitch. A fly-out off the bat of York advanced Buffaloe to third and suddenly the Rams had the winning run 60 feet away with only one out. Matsubara played the hero in game one with her third hit of the night being a walk-off single through the right side of the field, scoring Buffaloe and sending the Rams to 1-0 with an 8-0, run-rule victory.
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Completing her first shutout of the season, Serna finished the game with eight strikeouts, only allowing four hits and one walk while facing 20 batters in five innings. Defensively, the Rams were sound with a perfect fielding percentage and 15 total putouts.
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Game 2: Colorado State, 0 | Cal State Fullerton 5
Game two started with the momentum favoring the Rams. As Cal State Fullerton was playing its first game of the season, Colorado State attempted to carry their heavy hitting bats from game one into game two by drawing bases loaded in the first inning.
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Once again, the game started out with a leadoff hit from York who would then steal second base and then be advanced to third base off a Serna single. Matsubara drew a one-out walk to load the bases. However, this time around the Rams were unable to capitalize and left the top of the first scoreless, stranding three runners.
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With Colorado State's best opportunity coming in the first inning, the Cal State Fullerton combo of Haley Rainey and Leanna Garcia held the Rams to only five total hits, two in which came in that first inning. Unable to string the remaining three hits together, the Rams were shutout for the first time this season. Serna finished game two with two of Colorado State's five hits.
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Sydney Hornbuckle would get the start for Colorado State in game two. Hornbuckle went five innings facing 24 batters with four strikeouts and nine allowed hits. Sophomore Delaney Saugstad entered the game in relief to throw the sixth frame.
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The Titans scored a run in each of the first two innings and then added two more runs to seal the win in the sixth.
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Colorado State will have another opportunity to play the host team Sunday in its final game in Fullerton. Until then, the Rams will set their sites on Illinois-Chicago and Southern Utah tomorrow. Game one will begin at 1 p.m. with game two to follow at 5:30 p.m.
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Game 1: Colorado State, 8 | Pacific, 0
From the jump, Colorado State's bats were hot. The Rams started 2024 by stringing together three consecutive hits to open up the game and score first. A single by Ashley York, double by Molly Gates and two-RBI single from Maya Matsubara gave Colorado State the 2-0 advantage after the first inning.
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In the second, Colorado State drew base runners via two walks while a fielder's choice hit by Ashley York brought in Morgan Coleman, who was pinch running for Carolina Buffaloe, for the third run of the game. Gates then notched her second hit of the night and first RBI of the season as she brought in Morgan Crosby from third base. A wild pitch then advanced York to third and Gates to second with the score settled at 4-0.
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Looking to avoid a similar situation as the first inning, Matsubara drew the walk in her second at-bat to load the bases for the Rams. Two at-bats later, Danielle Serna took the hit-by-pitch for her first RBI of the season, scoring York from third. Colorado State would finish the second inning up 5-0.
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Serna then turned around to throw two more shutout innings in the circle before tallying another RBI in the bottom of the fourth, this time scoring Gates. Putting the ball in play resulted in good outcomes for the Rams all night as a passed ball, an error and a fielder's choice earned Colorado State base runners in order to score another run in the fourth frame off the bat of Hailey Smith who scored Matsubara on a sac fly to left field.
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To start the fifth, Buffaloe drew her second walk of the night before advancing to second on a wild pitch. A fly-out off the bat of York advanced Buffaloe to third and suddenly the Rams had the winning run 60 feet away with only one out. Matsubara played the hero in game one with her third hit of the night being a walk-off single through the right side of the field, scoring Buffaloe and sending the Rams to 1-0 with an 8-0, run-rule victory.
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Completing her first shutout of the season, Serna finished the game with eight strikeouts, only allowing four hits and one walk while facing 20 batters in five innings. Defensively, the Rams were sound with a perfect fielding percentage and 15 total putouts.
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Game 2: Colorado State, 0 | Cal State Fullerton 5
Game two started with the momentum favoring the Rams. As Cal State Fullerton was playing its first game of the season, Colorado State attempted to carry their heavy hitting bats from game one into game two by drawing bases loaded in the first inning.
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Once again, the game started out with a leadoff hit from York who would then steal second base and then be advanced to third base off a Serna single. Matsubara drew a one-out walk to load the bases. However, this time around the Rams were unable to capitalize and left the top of the first scoreless, stranding three runners.
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With Colorado State's best opportunity coming in the first inning, the Cal State Fullerton combo of Haley Rainey and Leanna Garcia held the Rams to only five total hits, two in which came in that first inning. Unable to string the remaining three hits together, the Rams were shutout for the first time this season. Serna finished game two with two of Colorado State's five hits.
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Sydney Hornbuckle would get the start for Colorado State in game two. Hornbuckle went five innings facing 24 batters with four strikeouts and nine allowed hits. Sophomore Delaney Saugstad entered the game in relief to throw the sixth frame.
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The Titans scored a run in each of the first two innings and then added two more runs to seal the win in the sixth.
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Colorado State will have another opportunity to play the host team Sunday in its final game in Fullerton. Until then, the Rams will set their sites on Illinois-Chicago and Southern Utah tomorrow. Game one will begin at 1 p.m. with game two to follow at 5:30 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Serna, Danielle (1-0)
L: Desiree Smit (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Olivia Silve 1
Batting:
2B: Gates, Molly 1
RBI: York, Ashley 1 ; Gates, Molly 1 ; Matsubara, Maya 3 ; Serna, Danielle 2 ; Smith, Hailey 1
SF: Smith, Hailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: York, Ashley 2 ; Gates, Molly 2 ; Matsubara, Maya 1 ; Buffaloe, Carolina 1 ; Coleman, Morgan 1 ; Crosby, Morgan 1
SB: Crosby, Morgan 1
HBP: Serna, Danielle 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P/INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
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