Two Shutouts for @BearsSoftball in California

Friday, March 17

Northridge, CA

12:00 pm

University of Northern Colorado

10-18

Quinnipiac University

6-10

Northern Colorado

Quinnipiac

Photo by: Mark Aguirre

3/17/2017 4:20:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Thomas Hoffman, uncbears.com

GAME 1 (PDF) | GAME 2 (PDF)

Northridge, Calif – Pitching highlighted a successful Saint Patrick's day in California for Northern Colorado Softball. No luck was needed for the Bears as back-to-back shutouts carried UNC over Quinnipiac, 10-0, and Bryant, 6-0.

GAME 1
Northern Colorado wasted no time jumping out to an early lead. Out of the blocks, Erica Dick singled up the middle and later scored on an illegal pitch. The Bears wouldn't stop there. Sophia Taylor brought in both Rachel Johnson and Jordyn Wiatrak on a triple, yet unfortunately was thrown out at home trying to stretch the extra-base hit into an inside-the-park home run.

Jayme Reddacliff gave up only one hit in the first inning, forcing the Bobcats to play defense once more. This time, Erica Dick used the long ball to plate two runs, after Adeline Coldiron had reached first on a hit-by-pitch. Suddenly, UNC took a commanding 5-0 lead.

Again, Reddacliff would surrender a single hit in the second inning. Relying on her defense, she forced two ground outs to end the inning before any Quinnipiac momentum could get started.

A-typically, neither team had anything going in the third inning, leaving the margin in Northern Colorado's favor, 5-0, heading into the fourth inning.

While the Bear's ace pitcher was busy forcing ground out after ground out, the offense ignited for another mini explosion in the bottom half of the frame. Three hits and an error led to three more UNC runs, extending the lead to 8-0, forcing Quinnipiac to emerge with a run in the next two innings, or the game would end abruptly.

Another quick inning from Reddacliff signaled a chance for the Blue and Gold to all but shut the door on their first game Friday. The Bears plated two more runs off a duo of hits and another Bobcat error, stretching the margin to 10-0.

Already with four shutout innings, Reddacliff wasn't about to let anyone ruin her perfect day. Promptly setting up and putting down the Bobcats in order, Northern Colorado completed their 10^th victory of the season, 10-0.

GAME 2
Playing their second game as the designated home team, Northern Colorado had to wait an entire half inning before they put a run on the board. As Kenzie Kudrna stole second, an errant throw from the Bryant second baseman, allowed Eric a Dick to trot across home plate for the game's first run. Two batters later, Kudrna made her way home herself, thanks to an RBI from Sophia Taylor.

With Valerie Vidal in the circle, the Bryant offense mirrored much of the same of what Bears fans saw in Quinniapiac. Two runners reached aboard safely in two innings, but like Reddacliff, Vidal allowed her defense to help her out, stopping any threats from persisting.

Kelli Kleis, Kaley Garcia and Cheyenne Talmadge all reach prior in Erica Dick walking into the batter's box in the second inning. Not only did her single drive in two extra runs for Northern Colorado, but it also catapulted her past Mikayla Duffy for the school record for most career RBI with 113.

Head coach Shana Easley called upon Kelli Kleis in the third inning to face the Bulldogs. It appeared as though the entire UNC pitching staff packed their best stuff with them to Northridge, as Kleis shut out Bryant in both the third and fourth innings.

Back on the offensive side of the ball, the Bears brought Sophia Taylor all the way to third base, before Cheyenne Talmadge drove her in with an RBI single. Though Kaley Garcia was left out in the cold on base, the Bears carried their 5-0 advantage into the fourth inning.

The fifth and sixth innings belonged in Chandler Elsner. Elsner went 1-2-3 in the fifth, but gave a scare to the Northern Colorado faithful on-hand in the sixth, loading the bases. A big strikeout kept Bryant from any rally and maintained the UNC lead, 5-0.

In the bottom half of the inning, Rachel Johnson netted an RBI double, adding yet another insurance run for the Bears as the scoreboard read 6-0 with one final inning remaining.

Representing the fourth Northern Colorado pitcher, Lauren Paige stepped into the circle for a chance to preserve the second victory of the day for the Bears. Paige gave up only one hit, a two-out double, before recording the third and final out of the ballgames, handing UNC the 6-0 victory.

KEY STAT
Total Bases – Northern Colorado recorded 25 total bases on the afternoon, while Quinnipiac and Bryant combined for only 12.

MOST VALUABLE BEAR
Erica Dick – Dick went 5-8 (.625) with four runs, five RBI, a home run, eight total bases and officially broke the school record for most career RBI with 113.

IN THEIR WORDS
Shana Easley, Head Coach
"We had a great day on offense today, but I am most encouraged by our overall pitching in today's games. With five our pitchers combining for two shutouts on the day. That's huge for us."

"Erica had some big at-bats for us in both games that were great timely hits, bringing in runs when we needed them."

NOTABLES
-Erica Dick broke Mikayla Duffy's school record for most career RBI.
-UNC used four pitchers in a shutout victory over Bryant.
-Sophia Taylor had one of her most productive days at the plate as a Bears, going 2-6, scoring one run, recording three RBI and notching her first triple.
-The Northern Colorado pitching staff pitched two consecutive shutouts, giving up only nine hits on the day.
-UNC committed only a single error in 12 innings of softball Friday.
-As a team, the Bears bolstered an on base percentage of .429.

UP NEXT
Northern Colorado welcomes two more games before starting Big Sky Conference play. Saturday signals contests against the host school, Cal State Northridge and a second game against Bryant.