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Rams get two shutouts on first day of SDSU Aztec Invitational Freshman Kim Klabough picked up her fifth win of the season.
Feb. 23, 2006
The Colorado State University softball team picked up its first two shutouts of the season, defeating Western Kentucky 7-0 and Long Beach State 8-0. With the wins the Rams improved to 9-4. "Our players are just playing very loose and playing very good softball right now," said head coach Mary Yori following the Rams' victories. In their first game of the day, the Rams staked to an early lead as senior transfer Tara Harbert led off with a single to first and stole second, her eighth stolen base of the season. Freshman Renee Welty singled to first to score Harbert. The Toppers held the Rams scoreless for the next three innings before seniors Jennifer Gardner and Harbert each tripled to start the fifth inning with one run. Junior Jessica Strickland singled to score Harbert. Sophomore Lauren Cusick, Welty and junior Stacey Leigh all singled before senior Katie Dean singled to right field to score Welty and Strickland to put the Rams ahead 5-0. CSU started the sixth inning with two pinch hitters before sophomore Julia Kloppe hit a double. Gardner singled to score Kloppe before stealing her first base of the season. Harbert and Strickland both singled to bring in Gardner, their last run of the game.
Strickland picked up her 27th career victory, allowing seven hits and striking out four. Strickland is now 4-4 to start the season. The Rams notched their second victory of the day against the Long Beach State 49ers. The game was scoreless until the top of the third when Cusick hit a homer to put the Rams on the board 1-0. Cusick's homer, her fourth in her last five games, proved to be all the Rams would need. Harbert singled to open the fourth inning before Strickland doubled to right center to score Harbert. Freshman Renee Welty opened the fifth with her first double of the season. She advanced to third on a wild pitch before freshman Kim Klabough singled to score her. Dean walked following Kloppe's single up the middle. Leigh reached on a fielder's choice before Kloppe scored on Gardner's grounder to give the Rams a 4-0 lead. Kloppe and Dean both singled in the seventh before Leigh hit a home run scoring Wong. Gardner reached on an error and Harbert singled. Strickland and Cusick both singled to bring in Gardner. Harbert scored on Welty's fly to end the game. Klabough picked up her fourth complete game victory of the season, pitching all seven innings and allowing only two hits while striking out seven. Klabough is now 5-0 to begin her career at Colorado State. "We got great pitching from Kim against Long Beach State. That is a big win against a quality program," added Yori. The Rams look to improve their record when they continue action at the SDSU Aztec Invitational with games against Kentucky and Loyola Marymount on Friday and Indiana State on Saturday. |
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