Leave it all on the field.
For the nine graduating seniors, that’s exactly what the plan was going in to the final game of Colorado State’s home series against Boise State.
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“(We have) nine amazing women all graduating, and some of them with their masters degrees,” coach Jen Fisher said. “Leaving everything they have with this program, and the crowd and the energy at the field, I think we have a lot to be thankful for.”
After two disappointing games that resulted in a 9-3 loss on Thursday and an 20-11 loss on Friday, senior night brought a familiar presence to the CSU softball complex on the final day of their series against Boise State.
A packed stadium full of families, friends and dedicated fans watched on as the Rams lost to the Broncos 3-2. The disappointing loss was never the result the Rams wanted, but having family there made the loss a little less harsh.
“This is the first time my whole family has been up here in my five years here,” Danielle Serna said. “I think it was just amazing to hear the crowd and to see them.”
The final game for the Rams was the closest scoreline they had for the entire series. Forcing the Broncos to go scoreless for the first several innings, the Rams defense was locked down compared to the previous night’s game.
Serna played a huge role in keeping the defense dialed in, reaching her 200th career strikeout for Colorado State.
“I really wanted her to complete this game, I was so excited for her,” Sydney Hornbuckle said. “I know she also broke the CSU record for most hit-by-pitch which she’s probably not as happy about that one, but (Serna’s) an athlete who my whole career I’ve looked up to and wanted to be so much like her.”
With the Rams defense dialing in, Colorado State just needed to lock in their offense as well. It wasn’t long after the 200th strikeout that the Rams were able to get runners on base for the first time all game.
“The wind was blowing across, so all the balls were staying in the yard and I knew it wasn’t very likely to be a shot over the fence that was going to win the game,” Fisher said. “We were trying to put the ball in play on the ground, which is exactly what Ashley (York) did, she almost found a hole.”
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Not only were the Rams able to get runners on base, but thanks to a bunt from York and an error from Boise State, the Rams were able to get a run on the scoreboard.
Only two hits after that were the Rams able to get another run, bringing Colorado State up to a 2-0 lead. However, it was shortly after when the Broncos were able to shorten the lead thanks to a stolen base and a fumbled catch.
The momentum the Rams had didn’t keep up for very long. After the first run from Boise State in the fifth, the Broncos continued that trend and were able to score two more runs after a missed catch from a fly ball deep in the outfield.
With only one run separating the two teams, a new pitcher-catcher battery entered the field. Sydney and Katelyn Hornbuckle were up to the plate, giving the twin sisters a final chance to play together at home.
“It’s just something that we’re so used to,” Sydney Hornbuckle said. “Coach made a joke like ‘have your sister warm you up, because if you go in she’ll go in with you’ as if she doesn’t know what I throw, Katelyn could catch me with her eyes closed.”
Ultimately, the Rams were unable to pull out a victory after striking out to end the final inning. Colorado State will go on to the Mountain West Championships where they could face any of the top teams in the conference.
Reach Emma Askren at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @emma_askren.
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