Colorado State softball is now four for four at home this season after beating Manhattan College 9-1 in the first game and 13-5 in the second game of the series.
CSU had an explosive showing in the two games against the Jaspers, scoring a combined 22 runs in the series.
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The constant scoring really pumped up the Rams. It seemed like a party in the Ram dugout.
“Oh, it’s insane, it’s electric, like, it’s so fun,” outfielder Hailey Smith said. “Everybody’s jumping around. Everybody’s doing their own thing. We got this little basketball hoop going, and it’s just fun to be in that type of that environment.”
With four home wins under their belts, the highs of this team could not be higher.
“Our bats obviously were alive, and to get all eight runs in that first inning was huge,” coach Jen Fisher said.
First game
The Rams scored a shocking six runs in the fourth inning to get the win over Manhattan College.
The game was a close one in the first three innings. The Rams were up 3-0 but had an early scare when Manhattan got two runners on base, leading to a run.
Reagan Wick, however, was able to step up and strike out the next two batters, leaving two runners at the corners. Wick had a great game, pitching five innings and allowing only one earned run and seven baserunners with three strikeouts to top off her performance.
The player of the game award, though, would have to go to Smith, who in three at-bats got one hit, one run and four RBIs off of a grand slam in the fourth inning.
What’s even more impressive is that earlier in that inning, it didn’t even look like Smith would get the chance to get an at-bat.
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“I feel like, this team, we like to chip away at anything,” Smith said. “And like no matter how many outs — one out, two outs, three outs — I know we can get a rally going (and) leave nothing up in the air.”
The only thing Smith left up in the air was the ball when it flew over the fence for her grand slam. The game soon ended due to the mercy rule in the fifth inning after a double play by Danielle Serna.
Second game
Even after a 30-minute break, the Rams’ bats didn’t cool down. CSU scored eight runs in the first inning to take a commanding lead over Manhattan.
Manhattan seemed overwhelmed by CSU, making three pitching changes just to try and slow down the hitting showcase.
Manhattan did try clawing back into the game by scoring four runs in the third inning, but the Rams never worried about a potential comeback.
“I know our team, and I know how we play, and sometimes those dinky little hits happen,” Maya Matsubara said. “And I feel like (in) softball, the ball has eyes sometimes, and it finds those holes. But my team, we always have each other, and we can come back, and I had no doubts there.”
The player of the game for the second matchup would definitely be Matsubara. In four appearances, Matsubara got two hits, two walks, four RBIs, one home run and three runs for herself. She made her at-bats look like a breeze when facing the Manhattan pitchers.
Reach Alex Graser at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @AlexGraser5354.
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