GREELEY, Colo. – The CSUB softball team played its third one-run game of the season against Seattle University Saturday afternoon, but for the first time the Redhawks prevailed, scoring runs in the sixth and seventh innings to come from behind for a 2-1 victory in quarterfinal action at the NCAA Division I Independent Championships on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado.
CSUB (27-23 overall) will face North Dakota in the fifth place game Sunday morning. Seattle (16-20) advances to face South Dakota in Saturday night’s second semifinal game.
The Roadrunners defeated Seattle twice by one run margins at the Loyola Marymount Invitational in February, winning 8-7 and 10-9. Saturday’s battle was the antithesis in both pace and outcome.
For the second consecutive game, the normally potent Roadrunner offense struggled to score runs. CSUB managed just a single tally on Kristen Archuleta’s two-out, RBI single in the fourth inning.
With sophomore Brittany Johnson throwing well, that looked as if it would be enough. But Seattle finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth, parlaying three consecutive infield singles into a 1-1 tie.
In the Seattle seventh, a leadoff error set the Redhawk table. Johnson coaxed number nine hitter Cassie Cueto to fly out to right, but the top of the Seattle order followed with three consecutive singles to bring home the winning run.
Junior designated player Danielle Lyman led CSUB with a 3-for-3 performance Saturday. Her one-out double in the fourth led to CSUB’s lone run.
TEAMS
| 123
| 456
| 7
| --
| R
| H
| E
|
CSU Bakersfield (27-23)
| 000
| 100
| 0
| --
| 1
| 6
| 1
|
Seattle University (16-20)
| 000
| 001
| 1
| --
| 2
| 10
| 1
|
Johnson and Kleinsmith; Reynolds and Amador. WP – Kelsey Reynolds (8-11). LP – Brittany Johnson (10-11).
2B – Lyman (B), Amador (S).
Courtesy: Mark Nessia
