Colorado State University Athletics
Sunday, April 6
Fort Collins, CO
12:00 PM
Colorado State
14-23, 4-9
2
vs
10
San Diego State
24-14, 8-5
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
San Diego State
3
0
2
5
0
10
13
0
Colorado State
0
0
2
0
0
2
4
0
Bumps in the Road Teach Lessons
4/6/2025 2:47:00 PM | Softball
CSU splits series with SDSU after Sunday loss
Even at the highest of highs, there continue to be bumps.
In the second game of its series against San Diego State, Colorado State softball couldn't recreate the magic of its opening win, falling 10-2 on Sunday afternoon. What started as a high point – a momentum-building victory over a No. 4 in the Mountain West contender – quickly gave way to a reality check.
The Aztecs came out swinging, racking up three runs in the first inning alone. It was a fast start CSU anticipated, but still couldn't fully contain.
"We didn't quite execute perfectly on defense," coach Jen Fisher said. "I think, against a team like that with that much speed early on, we needed to execute on defense. And then, they got a couple of runs early. I liked our focus and preparation but it's just getting those plays down perfectly. We were a little tentative on a couple of balls."
Hoping to rely on the same short-game defensive strategy which helped secure Saturday's win, the Rams struggled to settle in. Senior Jordan West gave the team a spark with a solo home run in the third inning, but it wasn't enough to ignite a rally. A pitching change from Giselle Bentley to Reagan Wick didn't slow the Aztecs either – SDSU tacked on five more runs, including three off a long ball that broke the game wide open. After a scoreless fifth from CSU, the run rule ended the game early.
Still, the weekend split brought with it some positives.
"It was a big win for us yesterday," West said. "Thinking about the rest of the season, we still have a lot of games to go. With that win, the team knows we can, and we have the strength to. So, it's a good feeling knowing we can come out on top against teams like that. And they're a great team."
Two of the games' biggest challenges were SDSU pitcher Grace Uribe and cooling off a red-hot Aztec offense which ended the game with 14 hits in 27 at-bats, while the Rams were limited to just four hits in 17 trips to the plate.
"We knew we needed to attack the pitcher early, and it didn't go our way today," Morgan Coleman said. "We wanted to get people on base as fast as possible and shut down their run game because they're a really good hitting team. We wanted to make plays and shut them down early."
For Fisher, the takeaway wasn't just about Sunday's loss – it was about how the team responded to the series as a whole and what it revealed moving forward.
"I think the satisfaction comes with the work ethic and preparation from the players," she said. "I like our fight, but I'm unsatisfied with the execution. It's my job to try and learn faster and execute our game plan quicker. So I'm trying to find ways of how I can speed up the process for our younger players so our execution rate gets even higher."
Despite being a young squad, the Rams have shown a maturity beyond their years. Fisher credits much of that to the leadership of her veterans, like West, who continue to model what consistency and accountability look like.
However, first-years don't get a free pass. Coaching staff want them to be leaders in their own right.
"I would say that us seniors just try to lift everybody up," West said. "We want to see everyone as a returner or veteran. We have a lot of young players on this team, but no one really acts like it. We're all just here for each other. I take pride in a leadership role and knowing that if I keep filling my cup and holding myself accountable, I can fill others' cups too."
As the Rams shift their focus to a midweek matchup against New Mexico, there's already a renewed sense of urgency mixed with lessons learned.
One of the biggest takeaways? Start strong and stay strong.
"I think this game will prepare us a lot," Coleman said. "The energy from the beginning is really important, so we just have to make sure we come out with that energy every time—and more than the other teams. I think that helps us a lot."
The Rams may have hit a bump, but their direction hasn't changed. For a team still building its identity, the journey is about navigating both the highs and the lows in order to come out on top.
In the second game of its series against San Diego State, Colorado State softball couldn't recreate the magic of its opening win, falling 10-2 on Sunday afternoon. What started as a high point – a momentum-building victory over a No. 4 in the Mountain West contender – quickly gave way to a reality check.
The Aztecs came out swinging, racking up three runs in the first inning alone. It was a fast start CSU anticipated, but still couldn't fully contain.
"We didn't quite execute perfectly on defense," coach Jen Fisher said. "I think, against a team like that with that much speed early on, we needed to execute on defense. And then, they got a couple of runs early. I liked our focus and preparation but it's just getting those plays down perfectly. We were a little tentative on a couple of balls."
Hoping to rely on the same short-game defensive strategy which helped secure Saturday's win, the Rams struggled to settle in. Senior Jordan West gave the team a spark with a solo home run in the third inning, but it wasn't enough to ignite a rally. A pitching change from Giselle Bentley to Reagan Wick didn't slow the Aztecs either – SDSU tacked on five more runs, including three off a long ball that broke the game wide open. After a scoreless fifth from CSU, the run rule ended the game early.
Still, the weekend split brought with it some positives.
"It was a big win for us yesterday," West said. "Thinking about the rest of the season, we still have a lot of games to go. With that win, the team knows we can, and we have the strength to. So, it's a good feeling knowing we can come out on top against teams like that. And they're a great team."
Two of the games' biggest challenges were SDSU pitcher Grace Uribe and cooling off a red-hot Aztec offense which ended the game with 14 hits in 27 at-bats, while the Rams were limited to just four hits in 17 trips to the plate.
"We knew we needed to attack the pitcher early, and it didn't go our way today," Morgan Coleman said. "We wanted to get people on base as fast as possible and shut down their run game because they're a really good hitting team. We wanted to make plays and shut them down early."
For Fisher, the takeaway wasn't just about Sunday's loss – it was about how the team responded to the series as a whole and what it revealed moving forward.
"I think the satisfaction comes with the work ethic and preparation from the players," she said. "I like our fight, but I'm unsatisfied with the execution. It's my job to try and learn faster and execute our game plan quicker. So I'm trying to find ways of how I can speed up the process for our younger players so our execution rate gets even higher."
Despite being a young squad, the Rams have shown a maturity beyond their years. Fisher credits much of that to the leadership of her veterans, like West, who continue to model what consistency and accountability look like.
However, first-years don't get a free pass. Coaching staff want them to be leaders in their own right.
"I would say that us seniors just try to lift everybody up," West said. "We want to see everyone as a returner or veteran. We have a lot of young players on this team, but no one really acts like it. We're all just here for each other. I take pride in a leadership role and knowing that if I keep filling my cup and holding myself accountable, I can fill others' cups too."
As the Rams shift their focus to a midweek matchup against New Mexico, there's already a renewed sense of urgency mixed with lessons learned.
One of the biggest takeaways? Start strong and stay strong.
"I think this game will prepare us a lot," Coleman said. "The energy from the beginning is really important, so we just have to make sure we come out with that energy every time—and more than the other teams. I think that helps us a lot."
The Rams may have hit a bump, but their direction hasn't changed. For a team still building its identity, the journey is about navigating both the highs and the lows in order to come out on top.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: URIBE, Grace (6-0)
L: Bentley, Giselle (5-10)
Batting:
2B: IGNACIO, Jade 2
3B: CUNNINGHAM, Shannon 1
HR: CUNNINGHAM, Shannon 1 ; URIBE, Grace 1
RBI: DECKER, Cali 2 ; CUNNINGHAM, Shannon 3 ; WILLIAMS, Jazmin 1 ; URIBE, Grace 3 ; FARREN, Kate 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HOLCOMB, Julie 1 ; IGNACIO, Jade 2 ; DECKER, Cali 1 ; RODRIGUEZ, Mia 1 ; CUNNINGHAM, Shannon 3 ; WILLIAMS, Jazmin 1 ; URIBE, Grace 1
CS: HOLCOMB, Julie 1
HBP: DECKER, Cali 1 ; WAIKI, Quinn 1
Batting:
2B: Edwards, Abby 1
HR: Poteet-Herrera, Bradie 1
RBI: Poteet-Herrera, Bradie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, Jac 1 ; Poteet-Herrera, Bradie 1
CS: COLEMAN, Morgan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
LHP
/ SoftballColorado State Softball: Highlights vs. San Jose State
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Colorado State Softball: Highlights vs. San Jose State Game Two
Saturday, March 26
RamWire: Coach Fisher One-On-One
Tuesday, May 14