Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, April 6
Fort Collins, CO
11:00 AM
Colorado State
19-15, 0
12
vs
4
New Mexico
10-33, 0
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
New Mexico
2
0
2
0
0
4
5
1
Colorado State
0
1
2
1
8
12
11
0
Long Ball Leads Rams Past New Mexico
4/6/2024 2:18:00 PM | Softball
Colorado State gets back in the win column in run rule fashion
FORT COLLINS -Â On a windy day at Ram Field, the Colorado State softball team used the weather conditions as home field advantage en route to a run-rule win over the New Mexico Lobos, 12-4.
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The home run ball and extra base hits played a major role in Saturday game one between the Rams and the Lobos with New Mexico taking an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, scoring runs two runs with a triple in the inning.
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Starting in the circle for the Rams was senior Sydney Hornbuckle who knew the wind might be against her in the circle, but it will be in her favor at the plate. With the pitcher batting for herself, in her first at-bat Hornbuckle opened the scoring for the Rams with her first career home run over the right center fence. The excitement was adamant from Hornbuckle running the bases, looking to get a spark in her team.
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"I mean, I knew that I was going to be tough with the wind. We've dealt with it these past four years, so it's not new, but I think I came in off the mound and I told the team, let's take advantage like they are," Hornbuckle said. "In my head, anything that's going up is going to go out. So for me, I'm like, just lift a little and threw it and it just went over and I knew off the bat it was over and it was so exciting."
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With one run scored in the bottom of the second, the Lobos responded with two runs of their own in the third inning with a Chloe Yeatts two run home run to put the New Mexico lead at 4-1. But beyond that, it was all Rams.
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Ashley York pulled the score within two with a solo home run over the center field wall in the top of the third while Molly Gates brought in the third RBI of the game for CSU when she scored Maya Matsubara to make it 4-3 Lobos, after three.
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After Hornbuckle shut down New Mexico in the top of the fourth, she turned around and hit her second home run of the game and second of her career to tie the ball game at four. The spark was lit.
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"I think being able to do both helps me be a better leader on this team to be able to do both sides. But I think it's just like helps the confidence of the team that throughout the whole lineup," Hornbuckle said.
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"We were so excited for Syd. That was awesome and she lives for this moment all the time," Matsubara said. "It inspires me, and I love that she's able to get down, sometimes get some hits off of her and you can never tell. She's so strong in that circle and it's just a great showing for her."
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With a tie ball game entering the fifth inning, the Rams defense kept the Lobos from scoring with a 6-4-3, Matsubara to Peyton Allen to Jailey Wilson double-play which ended the inning and saved a run to keep the game tied and the Rams in charge.
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"I think the defense was huge today. Syd fielded a couple bunts perfectly. Nelly made a great play at third on a ground ball and then the double play was huge. For us to get out of that inning without a run was huge," head coach Jen Fisher said.
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On offense, Colorado State forced two pitching changes from New Mexico and put up eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to walk off the game.
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The fifth started with a Matsubara walk before three straight extra base hits for the Rams triggered the first pitching change of the inning. A Peyton Allen double, Danielle Serna triple and double from Gates put the lead at 7-4. Three straight singles from Brooke Bohlender, Hornbuckle and Jailey Wilson brought in one more run and loaded the bases for pinch hitter Carolina Buffaloe. The Rams then drew back-to-back walks from Buffaloe and York before Matsubara began and finished the inning with a no-out walk off double to the left center wall.
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"I was definitely looking for something to drive. Definitely never thinking about walking it off, but I mean, it's always nice, but my MO isn't usually as a big home run hitter, so I'm just trying to get a nice base hit and it just so happened that they were shifting me the wrong way so I tried to take advantage of that."
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The two needed runs came across for the Rams to walk it off and claim a game one victory, 12-4.
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"The offense having our backs and just ending that game, it's just huge. It's just huge because anything could happen if we hadn't have ended that right there," Fisher said.
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Hornbuckle finished the complete game win going five innings with three strikeouts, only allowing five hits while going three-for-three from the batter's box herself.
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"Syd has been really tough, and she's always been a really good hitter, but she's never really quite got the everyday opportunities. So, I'm really proud of her. She's a fighter. She's like glue. She's just steady for us and so I'm really happy for her. Just a great, great game for her and a great way to kind of break out of a little bit of a funk for us," Fisher said.
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The Rams will play New Mexico once more Sunday at noon to wrap up the two-game series with the Lobos.
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The home run ball and extra base hits played a major role in Saturday game one between the Rams and the Lobos with New Mexico taking an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, scoring runs two runs with a triple in the inning.
Â
Starting in the circle for the Rams was senior Sydney Hornbuckle who knew the wind might be against her in the circle, but it will be in her favor at the plate. With the pitcher batting for herself, in her first at-bat Hornbuckle opened the scoring for the Rams with her first career home run over the right center fence. The excitement was adamant from Hornbuckle running the bases, looking to get a spark in her team.
Â
"I mean, I knew that I was going to be tough with the wind. We've dealt with it these past four years, so it's not new, but I think I came in off the mound and I told the team, let's take advantage like they are," Hornbuckle said. "In my head, anything that's going up is going to go out. So for me, I'm like, just lift a little and threw it and it just went over and I knew off the bat it was over and it was so exciting."
Â
With one run scored in the bottom of the second, the Lobos responded with two runs of their own in the third inning with a Chloe Yeatts two run home run to put the New Mexico lead at 4-1. But beyond that, it was all Rams.
Â
Ashley York pulled the score within two with a solo home run over the center field wall in the top of the third while Molly Gates brought in the third RBI of the game for CSU when she scored Maya Matsubara to make it 4-3 Lobos, after three.
Â
After Hornbuckle shut down New Mexico in the top of the fourth, she turned around and hit her second home run of the game and second of her career to tie the ball game at four. The spark was lit.
Â
"I think being able to do both helps me be a better leader on this team to be able to do both sides. But I think it's just like helps the confidence of the team that throughout the whole lineup," Hornbuckle said.
Â
"We were so excited for Syd. That was awesome and she lives for this moment all the time," Matsubara said. "It inspires me, and I love that she's able to get down, sometimes get some hits off of her and you can never tell. She's so strong in that circle and it's just a great showing for her."
Â
With a tie ball game entering the fifth inning, the Rams defense kept the Lobos from scoring with a 6-4-3, Matsubara to Peyton Allen to Jailey Wilson double-play which ended the inning and saved a run to keep the game tied and the Rams in charge.
Â
"I think the defense was huge today. Syd fielded a couple bunts perfectly. Nelly made a great play at third on a ground ball and then the double play was huge. For us to get out of that inning without a run was huge," head coach Jen Fisher said.
Â
On offense, Colorado State forced two pitching changes from New Mexico and put up eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to walk off the game.
Â
The fifth started with a Matsubara walk before three straight extra base hits for the Rams triggered the first pitching change of the inning. A Peyton Allen double, Danielle Serna triple and double from Gates put the lead at 7-4. Three straight singles from Brooke Bohlender, Hornbuckle and Jailey Wilson brought in one more run and loaded the bases for pinch hitter Carolina Buffaloe. The Rams then drew back-to-back walks from Buffaloe and York before Matsubara began and finished the inning with a no-out walk off double to the left center wall.
Â
"I was definitely looking for something to drive. Definitely never thinking about walking it off, but I mean, it's always nice, but my MO isn't usually as a big home run hitter, so I'm just trying to get a nice base hit and it just so happened that they were shifting me the wrong way so I tried to take advantage of that."
Â
The two needed runs came across for the Rams to walk it off and claim a game one victory, 12-4.
Â
"The offense having our backs and just ending that game, it's just huge. It's just huge because anything could happen if we hadn't have ended that right there," Fisher said.
Â
Hornbuckle finished the complete game win going five innings with three strikeouts, only allowing five hits while going three-for-three from the batter's box herself.
Â
"Syd has been really tough, and she's always been a really good hitter, but she's never really quite got the everyday opportunities. So, I'm really proud of her. She's a fighter. She's like glue. She's just steady for us and so I'm really happy for her. Just a great, great game for her and a great way to kind of break out of a little bit of a funk for us," Fisher said.
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The Rams will play New Mexico once more Sunday at noon to wrap up the two-game series with the Lobos.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hornbuckle, Sydney (9-6)
L: GUEST, McKenna (8-19)
Batting:
2B: HATHOOT, Rachael 1 ; BAYLOR, Elizabeth 1
3B: CHAVEZ, Keyannah 1
HR: YEATTS, Chloe 1
RBI: CHAVEZ, Keyannah 1 ; YEATTS, Chloe 3
SH: VASQUEZ-DICKSON, DeN 2
Base Running:
RUNS: HATHOOT, Rachael 1 ; CHAVEZ, Keyannah 2 ; YEATTS, Chloe 1
HBP: HATHOOT, Rachael 1 ; CHAVEZ, Keyannah 1 ; ANDREWS, Macie 1
Batting:
2B: Matsubara, Maya 2 ; Allen, Peyton 1 ; Gates, Molly 1
3B: Serna, Danielle 1
HR: York, Ashley 1 ; Hornbuckle, Sydney 2
RBI: York, Ashley 2 ; Matsubara, Maya 2 ; Allen, Peyton 1 ; Serna, Danielle 1 ; Gates, Molly 2 ; Hornbuckle, Sydney 3 ; Buffaloe, Carolina 1
Base Running:
RUNS: York, Ashley 1 ; Matsubara, Maya 2 ; Allen, Peyton 1 ; Serna, Danielle 1 ; Gates, Molly 1 ; Bohlender, Brooke 1 ; Hornbuckle, Sydney 2 ; Wilson, Jailey 1 ; Buffaloe, Carolina 1 ; Coleman, Morgan 1
SB: Matsubara, Maya 2 ; English, Kaylynn 1
HBP: Matsubara, Maya 1 ; Serna, Danielle 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
C/UT
/ Softball
C/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P/INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
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