Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, March 2
Fort Collins, CO
12:00 PM
Colorado State
10-8
9
vs
1
Manhattan College
1-7
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Manhatten College
0
0
0
1
0
1
7
2
Colorado State
2
1
0
6
X
9
11
0
Rams Run-Rule Manhattan College Both Games of Saturday Doubleheader
3/2/2024 6:47:00 PM | Softball
Colorado State conquers the windy conditions to remain undefeated in Colorado Classic
FORT COLLINS – The Colorado State softball team won both games against the Manhattan College Jaspers Saturday afternoon at Rams Field, claiming the run rule victory in both games of the doubleheader. The Rams won game one 9-1 in five innings before taking game two 13-5 also in five innings.
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A windy afternoon at Ram Field made it a perfect day for high-productive offenses and the Rams were looking to take advantage of the wind, while still being prepared for the conditions on defense.
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"We were just kind of reading the wind, especially with it changing a lot," senior outfielder Hailey Smtih said. "Sometimes you would look back and it was blowing out, sometimes you look back and then it was blowing back in, so understanding that reading the ball especially as an outfielder, we were talking to each other and knowing on defense the ball is going to be moving a lot so we had to make sure we had each other's backs."
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In game one, the Rams jumped on the board first with a two-run home run from Danielle Serna, scoring Peyton Allen who hit a double down the left field line in the prior at-bat. The home run would be Serna's second on the weekend after going yard against Iowa State Friday.
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Colorado State added another run in the bottom half of the second inning after Molly Gates hit a leadoff double and came around to score via a single from Sydney Hornbuckle. Entering the third inning with a three-run advantage, Colorado State starting pitcher Reagan Wick threw another scoreless inning, getting out of a first-and-third situation with two outs.
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Three hits in the top of the fourth inning added one run for the Jaspers, but Wick saw some help from her offense in the bottom of the fourth inning where the Rams scored six runs, all with two outs to put the rule-rule into effect.
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With the Jaspers drawing the first two outs of the inning on a double play ball, Jordan West got the rally started with a single to right center. Taking advantage of the swirling wind, Ashley York poked a base hit into shallow right field, advancing Katelyn Hornbuckle, who ran for West, to third. The Rams took advantage of the first-and-third situation as York took off for second and slid in safety while the throw from the Manhattan College catcher sailed over the third baseman's head on a third base pickoff attempt. Hornbuckle strolled home from third base to start the scoring rally.
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With York still on second, the bases were juiced after Allen and Serna drew back-to-back hit by pitches. The eight-run inning was sealed when Smith hit a towering grand slam over the left center fence to plate all three runners and herself.
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"During today's pre-game, we were really focused on letting the ball travel and focusing on hitting hard line drive and I think as a team we did a really good job at executing that all day," Smith said.
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With the run-rule active, Colorado State just needed three outs without sacrificing a run to end the game and Wick picked up her first career win by doing just that. A one-two-three inning sealed a game one victory for the Rams.
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Wick finished the day with three strikeouts, allowing no walks while only allowing one earned run in 20 batters faced.
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In game two, momentum continued for Colorado State with a big first inning that the Jaspers couldn't come back from.
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Another longball sparked the Rams' scoring in the bottom of the first as Maya Matsubara laced a pitch over the left center fence to score herself and York who started the game with a leadoff single. Continuing with the inning, the Rams were once again able to rally with two outs. Walks drawn by Allen and Gates put two runners on with two outs, setting up a Brooke Bohlender double to score both runners and take a 4-0 first-inning lead. That resulted in a pitching change from Manhattan College.
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Three singles in a row credited to Jailey Wilson, Abby Edwards and York, hitting for the second time this inning, added two more runs to the Colorado State cause. Continuing her big innings, Matsubara then tripled to score Edwards and York, resulting in another pitching change from the Jaspers. Before you know it, the Rams had an 8-0 lead after the first frame of play and had forced out two Manhattan College pitchers.
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"I think anytime you see four pitchers in one game, it's a challenge, but I think Coach Easley prepares us so well that it's also a source of pride for our team to be able to knock out pitchers and each time they knock one out of the game it's a feather in their cap," Fisher said.
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Serna got the start in game two for the Rams, pitching a scoreless second inning as the Jaspers tried to respond. She then leadoff the bottom of the second inning with a double at the plate. Another Bohlender single scored Serna before back-to-back walks were again drawn, this time by Wilson and Edwards. One more run came in for the Rams when Bohlender scored from third on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 10-0.
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The Jaspers had a response in the third, finally looking to take advantage of the windy conditions and just try and put the ball in play. Three infield singles and two doubles, all on soft contact, resulted in four runs for Manhattan College, taking the run-rule effect back out of the picture as the score now sat at 10-4.
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Colorado State responded with one run in the bottom of the third, putting the spread at seven runs as a Gates double scored Matsubara from third who reached on a leadoff walk. The Jaspers answered again with a solo home run to lead off the top of the fifth inning off sophomore pitcher Delaney Saugstad who entered in relief for Serna.
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Going into the fifth inning, the Rams needed two runs to walk-off the game via the run-rule and after three straight walks to Matsubara, Kaylynn English and Serna loaded the bases, junior Morgan Coleman got to play the hero. A double to the left center wall sealed the second five-inning win for Colorado State of the day as Coleman scored Matsubara and English to put the score spread at eight.
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"I was definitely trying to be selective, but I was calming my breathing and trying to make sure I was seeing that ball well," Coleman said. "I got down 0-2 even though she had thrown a lot of balls in the inning before, but it just came down to keeping it simple and getting a base hit on the ground."
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Serna took the win with three innings pitched including two strikeouts. Saugstad added two strikeouts of her own while only allowing one hit in two innings of work.
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On the day as a team, Colorado State totaled 21 hits across both games including nine extra base hits from seven different Rams. In an all-around team effort, 11 Rams recorded hits within the doubleheader. Matsubara led the Rams, going 4-5 while Bohlender and Serna both hit .500 on the day.
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"I think the offense is really dialed in and is playing really un-selfish. You're not seeing a lot of the big swing and misses, trying to score five runners on one swing type of at-bats. We've been working really hard on that, and I think you're starting to see that consistent pressure being applied," Fisher said.
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To round out the Colorado Classic, the Rams will face Iowa State for the third time this weekend Sunday morning. The Rams took both games from the Cyclones Friday afternoon by scores of 6-2 and 5-4 and are prepared for Iowa State to return to Ram Field hungry for a win.
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"I think we just have to play our game and play Ram softball tomorrow. I think we've been doing a really good job of that all weekend and we're just looking to stay competitive and push runs across s our main goal," Coleman said.
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First pitch is set for 11 a.m. on the Mountain West Network. As always, Ram Field is open for fans with free admission.
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A windy afternoon at Ram Field made it a perfect day for high-productive offenses and the Rams were looking to take advantage of the wind, while still being prepared for the conditions on defense.
Â
"We were just kind of reading the wind, especially with it changing a lot," senior outfielder Hailey Smtih said. "Sometimes you would look back and it was blowing out, sometimes you look back and then it was blowing back in, so understanding that reading the ball especially as an outfielder, we were talking to each other and knowing on defense the ball is going to be moving a lot so we had to make sure we had each other's backs."
Â
In game one, the Rams jumped on the board first with a two-run home run from Danielle Serna, scoring Peyton Allen who hit a double down the left field line in the prior at-bat. The home run would be Serna's second on the weekend after going yard against Iowa State Friday.
Â
Colorado State added another run in the bottom half of the second inning after Molly Gates hit a leadoff double and came around to score via a single from Sydney Hornbuckle. Entering the third inning with a three-run advantage, Colorado State starting pitcher Reagan Wick threw another scoreless inning, getting out of a first-and-third situation with two outs.
Â
Three hits in the top of the fourth inning added one run for the Jaspers, but Wick saw some help from her offense in the bottom of the fourth inning where the Rams scored six runs, all with two outs to put the rule-rule into effect.
Â
With the Jaspers drawing the first two outs of the inning on a double play ball, Jordan West got the rally started with a single to right center. Taking advantage of the swirling wind, Ashley York poked a base hit into shallow right field, advancing Katelyn Hornbuckle, who ran for West, to third. The Rams took advantage of the first-and-third situation as York took off for second and slid in safety while the throw from the Manhattan College catcher sailed over the third baseman's head on a third base pickoff attempt. Hornbuckle strolled home from third base to start the scoring rally.
Â
With York still on second, the bases were juiced after Allen and Serna drew back-to-back hit by pitches. The eight-run inning was sealed when Smith hit a towering grand slam over the left center fence to plate all three runners and herself.
Â
"During today's pre-game, we were really focused on letting the ball travel and focusing on hitting hard line drive and I think as a team we did a really good job at executing that all day," Smith said.
Â
With the run-rule active, Colorado State just needed three outs without sacrificing a run to end the game and Wick picked up her first career win by doing just that. A one-two-three inning sealed a game one victory for the Rams.
Â
Wick finished the day with three strikeouts, allowing no walks while only allowing one earned run in 20 batters faced.
Â
In game two, momentum continued for Colorado State with a big first inning that the Jaspers couldn't come back from.
Â
Another longball sparked the Rams' scoring in the bottom of the first as Maya Matsubara laced a pitch over the left center fence to score herself and York who started the game with a leadoff single. Continuing with the inning, the Rams were once again able to rally with two outs. Walks drawn by Allen and Gates put two runners on with two outs, setting up a Brooke Bohlender double to score both runners and take a 4-0 first-inning lead. That resulted in a pitching change from Manhattan College.
Â
Three singles in a row credited to Jailey Wilson, Abby Edwards and York, hitting for the second time this inning, added two more runs to the Colorado State cause. Continuing her big innings, Matsubara then tripled to score Edwards and York, resulting in another pitching change from the Jaspers. Before you know it, the Rams had an 8-0 lead after the first frame of play and had forced out two Manhattan College pitchers.
Â
"I think anytime you see four pitchers in one game, it's a challenge, but I think Coach Easley prepares us so well that it's also a source of pride for our team to be able to knock out pitchers and each time they knock one out of the game it's a feather in their cap," Fisher said.
Â
Serna got the start in game two for the Rams, pitching a scoreless second inning as the Jaspers tried to respond. She then leadoff the bottom of the second inning with a double at the plate. Another Bohlender single scored Serna before back-to-back walks were again drawn, this time by Wilson and Edwards. One more run came in for the Rams when Bohlender scored from third on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 10-0.
Â
The Jaspers had a response in the third, finally looking to take advantage of the windy conditions and just try and put the ball in play. Three infield singles and two doubles, all on soft contact, resulted in four runs for Manhattan College, taking the run-rule effect back out of the picture as the score now sat at 10-4.
Â
Colorado State responded with one run in the bottom of the third, putting the spread at seven runs as a Gates double scored Matsubara from third who reached on a leadoff walk. The Jaspers answered again with a solo home run to lead off the top of the fifth inning off sophomore pitcher Delaney Saugstad who entered in relief for Serna.
Â
Going into the fifth inning, the Rams needed two runs to walk-off the game via the run-rule and after three straight walks to Matsubara, Kaylynn English and Serna loaded the bases, junior Morgan Coleman got to play the hero. A double to the left center wall sealed the second five-inning win for Colorado State of the day as Coleman scored Matsubara and English to put the score spread at eight.
Â
"I was definitely trying to be selective, but I was calming my breathing and trying to make sure I was seeing that ball well," Coleman said. "I got down 0-2 even though she had thrown a lot of balls in the inning before, but it just came down to keeping it simple and getting a base hit on the ground."
Â
Serna took the win with three innings pitched including two strikeouts. Saugstad added two strikeouts of her own while only allowing one hit in two innings of work.
Â
On the day as a team, Colorado State totaled 21 hits across both games including nine extra base hits from seven different Rams. In an all-around team effort, 11 Rams recorded hits within the doubleheader. Matsubara led the Rams, going 4-5 while Bohlender and Serna both hit .500 on the day.
Â
"I think the offense is really dialed in and is playing really un-selfish. You're not seeing a lot of the big swing and misses, trying to score five runners on one swing type of at-bats. We've been working really hard on that, and I think you're starting to see that consistent pressure being applied," Fisher said.
Â
To round out the Colorado Classic, the Rams will face Iowa State for the third time this weekend Sunday morning. The Rams took both games from the Cyclones Friday afternoon by scores of 6-2 and 5-4 and are prepared for Iowa State to return to Ram Field hungry for a win.
Â
"I think we just have to play our game and play Ram softball tomorrow. I think we've been doing a really good job of that all weekend and we're just looking to stay competitive and push runs across s our main goal," Coleman said.
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First pitch is set for 11 a.m. on the Mountain West Network. As always, Ram Field is open for fans with free admission.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wick, Reagan (1-1)
L: Kiseloski, Sophia (3-4)
Batting:
2B: Hoag, Lindsey 1
RBI: Villalobos, Anissa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: O'Connor, Camryn 1
CS: Mazzotta, Gabriella 1
PO: Rende, Lauren 1
Batting:
2B: Matsubara, Maya 1 ; Allen, Peyton 1 ; Gates, Molly 1
HR: Serna, Danielle 1 ; Smith, Hailey 1
RBI: Matsubara, Maya 1 ; Serna, Danielle 2 ; Smith, Hailey 4 ; Hornbuckle, Sydney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: York, Ashley 1 ; Matsubara, Maya 1 ; Allen, Peyton 2 ; Serna, Danielle 1 ; Buffaloe, Carolina 1 ; Smith, Hailey 1 ; Gates, Molly 1 ; Hornbuckle, Katelyn 1
SB: York, Ashley 1
HBP: Allen, Peyton 1 ; Serna, Danielle 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
C/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P/INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
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