By: Andres Madrid
SILVER CITY, N.M. - (GoThunderWolves.com - March 9, 2014) - The Colorado State University-Pueblo softball team traveled away from Pueblo over the weekend hoping to get some conference games in. Drivng the long nine hours to Silver City, N.M. to play against the Western New Mexico Mustangs, Mother Nature once again had other plans as game two of the scheduled doubleheader was postponed due to rain after just one inning.
Losing game one on Saturday 7-5, the Pack put up seven runs in the top of the first inning to begin the second contest with a walk to lead-off hitter Alexa Snyder (Jr., Pueblo, Colo.), advancing to second on a wild pitch, followed by a single through the left side from Jasmine Vogel (Jr., Oceanside, Calif.) scoring Snyder. Two singles, a hit-by-pitch, and walked batter later, the Pack was quickly up 4-0 with no outs recorded. A single by Kennedy Smith (Fillmore, Calif.), collecting two RBIs, who at the time chased WNMU pitcher Amber Taynton who surrendered seven earned runs, still with zero outs.
In her second at-bat of the inning, Dora Hernandez (So., Benton City, Wash.), the Pack's team leader in RBIs, collected one more RBI when she drew a bases loaded walk, ending the scoring run at 7. A fly-out the following batter ended the inning.
Starting in the circle for the Pack was reigning-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week Madison Wolfe (So., Oxnard, Calif.) who gave up a single to leadoff hitter Stephanie Higgins, committed a throwing error to the second batter before swiftly calming down, striking out the third batter in the lineup, Mustangs' big hitter Kale Gahn and then inducing two flyball outs to end any threat.
With rain remaining a constant and with poor weather forecasted for the remainder of the day, both head coaches and officials agreed to postpone the game in the top of the 2nd inning and resume Sunday.
Sunday morning under sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-50's, with three games slated on the afternoon head coach Christie Zinanti let Wolfe finish what she had started Saturday and she did not disappoint, allowing one earned run through three innings.
Things got shaky in the home half of the fourth inning for Wolfe, with a seven-run lead, she gave up four additional runs (all earned) on five Mustang hits and before all was said and done the Pack found themselves holding on to a 8-5 lead heading to the top of the 5th inning. Wolfe finished with four complete innings pitched to go along with one strikeout and one walked batter.
Original Mustang starting pitcher Taynton would re-enter the game to pitch beginning in the top of the 6th inning, giving up two more runs (both earned) to bring her game total to nine earned runs in only two innings pitched.
Samantha Avii (San Diego, Calif.) was called on to pitch in the next home at-bat in relief, picking up her first save of the season; allowing three hits and one walk batter in three innings of work. Wolfe picked up the win, her third of the year.
A late-inning two-run single by Jordan Rodriguez (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.) was all the Pack would need, winning the delayed game two, 11-5.
The second game of the tripleheader it seemed the bats had fallen asleep for both teams as they were both able to muster only eight hits combined (all singles) through six innings.
The ThunderWolves would load the bases in the top of the 7th inning with a one-out single to third base by Sidney Bailey (Pueblo, Colo.), followed by a Mustang fielding error allowed Vogel to reach, and yet another single by Snyder, was as big of a threat the Pack would give as the next batter Hernandez lined into an inning-ending double-play.
Pitching a gem of a game, Pack starting hurler Kelli Henry (Jr., Monument, Colo.) had given up just two measly hits through the infield in the top of the first inning before pitching lights-out through 6 1/3 innings. She surrendered the third and last hit of the game when senior-Mustang Gahn came up with one-out and belted a crushing, bottom of the seventh homerun over the left-centerfield wall, stealing the win 1-0.
Henry's line was as good as she has had this season, giving up three hits and striking out two, not allowing a walked batter in 6 1/3 innings worked, dropping her record to 1-7 on the season. Mustangs starting pitcher Domi Shone threw seven complete innings, giving up eight singles, and striking out four, to pick up the win improving to 6-8.
In the finale, the hits were aplenty as the Pack offense came alive and they were able to come away with a 9-7 victory, claiming their second win of the day and a split of the 4-game series.
The offense was started with three walks, two hit batsmen and a single in the top of the second inning igniting the Pack to a 4-0 lead after two innings. The score would remain the same until the fourth when the ThunderWolves put up three more runs in the inning to take a commanding 7-0 lead.
A big home-half of the fifth inning against Pack starter Wolfe, allowed the Mustangs to creep back into the game at an 8-5 clip heading into the final two innings. Avii again was called on to pitch, throwing 2 2/3 innings giving up two runs on three hits to close out the game. Gathering one additional insurance run in the top half of the seventh before two runs in the bottom of the seventh wrapped up the game at 9-7. Pack starting pitcher Wolfe picked up the victory, improving her record to 4-1 on the season.
In the three games today the Pack lineup had several solid performances led by Hernandez who batted .545 (6-for-11) with four runs scored, three RBIs and seven total bases. Along with Bailey who went 6-for-12 (.500) in four games on the weekend. Wolfe also picked up two wins while in the circle for the ThunderWolves.
With the series split, the ThunderWolves improve their overall record to 6-11 reaching the .500-mark in conference play at 3-3. The Pack will remain on the road next weekend when they travel to Golden, Colo. to play against Colorado School of Mines Orediggers (7-10, 3-5 RMAC) who are on a 4-game losing streak, after being swept over the weekend at Colorado Mesa. The four-game set is scheduled to begin Saturday at noon at the CSM Softball Field.
