Susan Craig Classic Ends on Sunday for Bears

Sunday, February 16

Albuquerque, N.M.

10 am

University of Northern Colorado

2-8

UCSB

3-6

Northern Colorado

UCSB

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

2/16/2020 6:42:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Northern Colorado fell in its final game to UCSB, 2-0

By: Matthew Kushar, UNCBears.com

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Northern Colorado closed out its time at the Susan Craig Classic on Sunday morning in a pitching duel against UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos edged the Bears, 2-0, as the teams combined for only six hits on the day.

Reyna Caudillo had an outstanding first career start, pitching six innings and allowing only two runs on four hits. Caudillo struck out one and walked three. UCSB got a combined shutout from Felisha Noriega and Alyssa Molina.

Caudillo only trouble came in the bottom of the third, as the Gauchos scored both of their runs. Sammy Fabian scored the team's first run on an RBI double and
Rayna Cohen hit a solo home run in the next at bat. Fabian was thrown out by relay from Alyssa Wenzel to Mady Young to Maddee Blood-Smyth trying to stretch the double into a triple.

UNC got its first hit in the top of the second on a single from Natalie Joyner.

The Bears were threatening in the top of the fifth, after Caudillo reached on a UCSB fielding error. After a fielder's choice cut down Caudillo's pinch runner, Brandi Hallar, Amanda Hedges walked to put two runners on. UNC could not get the key hit to bring in any runs during the inning.

The team got second hit in the top of the sixth on an Emma Brockmann-single. Young walked in the next at bat to put two on with one out. Molina was able to retire the next two Bears to end the threat. She would then close out UNC in top of the seventh for the 2-0 win.

Game Notes

Northern Colorado went 1-4 in the Susan Craig Classic this weekend.
Reyna Caudillo led UNC with a .500 batting average during the tournament, going 6-of-12 from the plate. She recorded four RBIs and hit one double as well.
Emma Brockmann batted .438 in the five games and leading the team with seven RBIs. Brockmann was solid on defense too, recording 15 putouts and two assists, with no errors.
Lauren Strathearn scored a team best five runs in the five games and batted .357 as well. Strathearn was also 2-of-3 on stolen base attempts.
Lainey Hanehan pitched 9.2 innings this weekend, recording a 1-1 record with a 4.66 ERA and one complete game.
Alyssa Wenzel matched Brockman with seven hits and scored four runs, along with recording one RBI during the tournament.

What's Ahead?
Northern Colorado will travel to Beaumont, TX for the Lamar University Tournament next weekend, playing five games. The Bears play two games against host Lamar and three against Saint Johns.