Bears Open Play at Susan Craig Classic

Friday, February 14

Albuquerque, N.M.

3 pm

University of Northern Colorado

1-6

UCSB

2-4

UCSB

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

2/14/2020 11:58:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Northern Colorado went 0-2 on Day 1 of the tournament

By: Matthew Kushar, UNCBears.com

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Northern Colorado softball went 0-2 on day one of the Susan Craig Classic. UNC dropped its first game against UC Santa Barbara, 18-10 in eight innings, followed by a 12-3 loss against host-New Mexico in five innings.

Bears vs. Gauchos
Maggie Thurston started in the circle for the Bears, facing UCSB's Felisha Noriega.

UNC got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from Reyna Caudillo. The Gauchos tied the score at one in the top of the second off a fielder's choice. The game settled in for the next inning, with no score.

Caudillo delivered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third to left field that allowed Mady Young to score. UNC was out in front 2-1. In the top of the fourth, the Gauchos scored three runs on four hits to take the 4-2 lead over the Bears.

UNC would storm back in the bottom of the fourth, putting up a four spot on five hits. Emma Brockmann and Caudillo delivered with clutch RBI singles to give the Bears a 6-4 lead.

UCSB scored a run in the top of the fifth to pull within one of UNC at 6-5.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Bears padded their lead with two runs on four hits for an 8-5 advantage. Caudillo knocked her third hit of the day and Dani Young came up with an infield single to score another run for UNC.

The Gauchos responded in force with four runs on five hits in the top of the seventh. The Bears would not go away quietly, as Lauren Strathearn grounded out and allowed Katie Simonsgaard to score the tying run. The game went to extras with the score tied at nine.

Now in the top of the eighth, UCSB exploded for eight runs on eight hits in the inning. Brockmann had an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, but it was the only response the Bears could mount against the Gauchos surge in the top half.

UCSB defeated UNC 17-10 in eight innings, as Lainey Hanehan took the loss after pitching 1.2 innings of relief and allowing eight runs, only one earned for the freshman.

Bears vs. Lobo
Kamryan Trujillo made her first career start in the circle as a Bear against the host team New Mexico and their starter, Kiana Spencer.

UNC quickly built a 3-0 lead over the Lobos as Paola Villegas connected for her first career home run as a Bear. The three-run blast gave UNC the early lead.

It was all New Mexico after the Villegas home run, as the Lobos scored 12 unanswered runs, knocking out Trujillo in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Lobos had built a 10-3 advantage after four innings with six runs on five hits in the inning.

A two-run, home run in the bottom of the fifth clinched the game for New Mexico, 12-3 as the eight-run rule came into effect.

Trujillo was hit with the loss after allowing eight runs, seven earned, in 3.1 innings of work. Caudillo allowed four runs in one inning of work out of the bullpen in her first career appearance.

UNC fell to 1-6 on the season after the games on Thursday

What's Ahead
Day two of the Susan Craig Classic will take place on Saturday, as UNC plays UCSB for the second time at 1 p.m.(MST), followed by New Mexico at 3:30 p.m.