CSU Takes Two From @BearsSoftball

Tuesday, April 11

Fort Collins, CO

2:15 pm

University of Northern Colorado

16-25

Colorado State University

19-13

Northern Colorado

Colorado State

4/11/2017 7:54:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Thomas Hoffman, uncbears.com

GAME 1 (PDF) | GAME 2 (PDF)

Fort Collins, Colo – Finishing up a game that originally began on February 28, Northern Colorado and Colorado State played out nearly two full games Tuesday in Fort Collins. It was all Rams, however, as CSU took both games, 3-0 and 7-0.

GAME 1
A month after starting their first contest against Colorado State, UNC and CSU resumed play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning and nobody out.

Backs against the wall, Jayme Reddacliff and her trusty defense managed to surrender only a single run, one hit, and kept the game at 1-0.

Northern Colorado's iron woman, Adeline Coldiron came through with a two-out double to right field in the second inning. Following Coldiron was freshman, Sophia Taylor, who couldn't quite punch it through the infield, grounding to shortstop to end the inning.

Once Reddacliff settled into a groove, the Bears offense went to work in the top of the third inning. Back-to-back singles from Cheyenne Talmadge and Erica Dick had UNC threatening with nobody out in the inning. Two batters later, a double play ended the scoring opportunity, keeping the game tight at 1-0.

Colorado State kicked off the bottom of the third inning with a double, followed by a single and an error, scoring their second run of the game. By the time Jayme Reddacliff could force a pop out for the final out of the inning, the Rams had pushed across a third run, giving them a 3-0 lead.

Both pitchers found their rhythms in the middle part of the ballgame. Between the fourth and fifth innings, the two programs combined for just two hits.

Despite getting runners aboard in the sixth and seventh inning, Colorado State's pitcher and defense stood strong to finish off the job. Kaley Garcia launched a shot to centerfield in the final frame which might have made it out of Ram Field had the wind not been whipping in from dead away center.

GAME 2
Calling for patient hitting, Northern Colorado forced a 25-pitch inning, forcing two walks. Inevitably, the Bears couldn't push any runners past second, ending the opening half inning of game two.

It was the same song, but a different verse in the second inning. UNC forced another 25-plus pitch inning from the Rams, but again, weren't able to manufacture a run.

In the bottom half of the frame, CSU earned their first base runner on a hit-by-pitch. A stolen base and a sacrifice grounder had the home team just 60 feet from home. A second groundout opened the door and the Rams stepped through, scoring to take the lead, 1-0.

Twice Northern Colorado had runners touch third base safely. Erica Dick was called out at home plate after her lead-off triple and Sophia Taylor took too large of a turn around third base, allowing CSU to apply the tag to end the inning and keep their one-run lead intact.

A two-out single in the bottom end of the frame spelled trouble for the Bears once again. A duo of hits brought around the second Colorado State run of game two, extending their lead, 2-0.

Blue and Gold batters continued their success at the plate early in the inning. Erica Dick led-off the fifth inning with a double, overtaking Melissa Marcovecchio for the program record in career hits. For the third time is as many innings, the Bears failed to plate a run, leaving the contest at 2-0.

The Rams jumped on Autumn Anderson in the fifth inning. A walk, two singles and a double let Colorado State combine for three runs in the inning, pushing their lead out to 5-0.

With Lauren Paige in to pitch, CSU garnered much of the same, offensively, as they had all afternoon. A hit by pitch and a pair of singles loaded the bases with nobody out. Back to where they had started Tuesday, Lauren Paige couldn't quite do what Reddacliff did, giving up two runs.

Down seven runs in the final inning, Northern Colorado needed a big inning to have a chance at a comeback. None would arrive however, as Colorado State took the final contest, 7-0.

KEY STAT
Runners left on base – Northern Colorado left 15 runners on the pads Tuesday afternoon, while Colorado State left just 12.

MOST VALUABLE BEAR
Erica Dick – With her double off the right field wall in game two, Erica became UNC's program leader in hits with 202, passing Melissa Marcovecchio.

IN THEIR WORDS
Shana Easley, Head Coach
"Our at-bats got much better from game one to game two. I was happy with how the girls came out and competed in the second contest. Obviously, now that we're in the middle of conference, Montana was, and continues to be our main priority this week. We have a chance to go up there and make a pretty big impact on our season."

NOTABLES
-Erica Dick broke the all-time record for career hits with 202.
-Freshman, Autumn Anderson pitched for the first time as a collegiate athlete in her home town of Fort Collins.
-Erica Dick nearly hit for the cycle, grabbing a triple and a double throughout Tuesday.
-UNC pitching gave up only four walks in two games, while CSU gave up eight to the Bears.

UP NEXT
Northern Colorado will make their way north to Missoula, Montana for a three-game series against the Grizzlies. UNC will return home on February 18 to face Colorado State for the final of their four matchups.