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Rams split series against Weber State behind huge offensive surge

Tyler Meguire

April 4, 2021

Haley Donaldson (5) gets an opponent out at second base and makes a throw to first, during the University’s second home game vs Purdue University at the Colorado State Classic softball tournament on Mar. 8, 2020. CSU wins 4-3. (Devin Cornelius | Collegian)

The Colorado State softball team experienced a mixed bag of results in their doubleheader against Weber State University.

The Rams split the series due to two very different offensive performances.

Game One

A slow start and a slow finish can describe the Rams’ offense in game one. Both pitchers were shutting down the hitters as between the two teams there were only three combined hits in the first three innings.

The Rams were finally able to get on the scoreboard, for their only run of the game, at the top of the fourth. A bunt from Corina Gamboa put Peyton Allen across the plate. With 11 RBIs, Gamboa now leads the team in the category.

Ashlyn Visser responded with a lead-off triple for the Wildcats and put the pressure back on the Rams. Weber State was able to string together a couple more hits; the Wildcats were suddenly up 2-1 at the bottom of the fourth.

CSU went silent for the remainder of the game. WSU scored two more in the fifth off of a double from Mariah Ramirez. In addition to two RBIs, Ramirez pitched a complete game and did not allow an earned run on 109 pitches.

With just four hits on the game, there was plenty for the Rams to be worried about going into game two.

That's how it's done! #WorkForOne pic.twitter.com/fpt03m4ngo

— Colorado State Softball (@CSUSoftball) April 3, 2021

Game Two

Whatever offensive woes plagued CSU in the first game were quickly put to the side at the start of the second game.

The Rams’ bats came alive early, as the Rams put up five runs in the first inning. Haley Donaldson, Danielle Serna and Tara Shadowen all hit doubles that drove in runners.

It is easy to score when there are runners on base, and the Rams had no shortage of that. The Rams tallied 13 total hits. Leaving runners on base is often a weak point for this team; however, on Saturday, they only stranded three runners.

Maya Matsubara was a clear standout in game two, going 3-3 and crossing home plate twice.

The fifth inning was when CSU put their foot on the gas. Up 6-1, the Rams went station-to-station to increase the lead to 9-1. When things could not get much worse for WSU, Allen dug into the batter’s box, got a hitters count and knocked the ball out of the park for a three-run home run, increasing the lead to 12-1 and effectively ending the game.

CSU and WSU only played a five-inning game. Julia Cabral made sure the Rams would not have to use another arm and pitched a complete game, only allowing one unearned run. Cabral struck out six and allowed five hits and two walks on 82 pitches.

Other than an error in the bottom of the third, the Rams played flawlessly in their 12-2 route to close out the day and improve to an overall record of 8-10.

Tyler Meguire can be reached at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @TMeguire.

About the Contributor

Devin Cornelius, Digital Managing Editor

Devin Cornelius is the digital managing editor for The Collegian. He is a fifth-year computer science major from Austin, Texas. He moved to Colorado State University and started working for The Collegian in 2017 as a photographer. His passion for photography began in high school, so finding a photography job in college was one of his top priorities. He primarily takes sports photos, volleyball being his favorite to shoot. Having been on The Collegian staff for 4 1/2 years, he's watched the paper evolve from a daily to a weekly paper, and being involved in this transition is interesting and exciting. Although Cornelius is a computer science major, his time at The Collegian has been the most fulfilling experience in his college career — he has loved every second. From working 12-hour days to taking photos in Las Vegas for the Mountain West Conference, he cannot think of a better place to work. Working as a photographer for The Collegian pushed him outside of his comfort zone, taking him places that he never expected and making him the photographer he is today. As the digital managing editor, Cornelius oversees the photos, graphics and social media of The Collegian along with other small tech things. Working on the editorial staff with Katrina Leibee and Serena Bettis has been super fun and extremely rewarding, and together they have been pushing The Collegian toward being an alt-weekly. Outside of The Collegian, he enjoys playing volleyball, rugby, tumbling and a variety of video games. When in Austin, you can find him out on the lake, wake surfing, wake boarding and tubing. You can expect that Cornelius and the rest of The Collegian staff will do their best to provide you with interesting and exciting content.

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