DAVIS, Calif. – Strong defense and solid pitching led Colgate Softball to its first victory of the early 2016 season.
 
The Raiders recorded their first mark in the win column after defeating Seattle 3-1 here Saturday morning in their lone game of the UC Davis Tournament. Inclement weather has forced numerous cancellations during the first weekend of Colgate's West Coast spring break trip.    
 
Brigit Ieuter was impressive in the circle, pitching her first compete game of the year. The senior allowed just four hits and one run, while earning four strikeouts in the contest.
 
Six different Raiders led the team with one hit each. One of those hits was rookie Lauren La Terra's second long ball of the year which she blasted over the left-field fence. Also reeling in a run for Colgate was Holly Geranen and Meghan Romero, while Marisa Dowling and Ieuter accounted for those two Raider runs.
 
La Terra handed the Raiders the 1-0 edge in the bottom of the second with her solo shot, before Romero followed a few batters later, bringing in Colgate's second run of the inning.
 
Then with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, the Raiders rallied for another run after back-to-back hits. Dowling drilled a double to right center before Geranen followed with a single up the middle to bring her home.
 
Despite giving up a run in the top of the sixth, Colgate was able to stay strong defensively to hold onto the win.
 
The Raiders next travel to Reno for a doubleheader with Nevada on Sunday at noon and 2 p.m.

Bottom Line
• Colgate 3, Seattle 1

Won-Lost Records
• Colgate improves to 1-5.
• Seattle dips to 8-13.

Key Raider Info
• Dowling, Geranen, La Terra, Romero, Katie Bushee and Alessandra Moore all recorded hits in the game.   
• Romero earned her first two career stolen bases, while Dowling notched her first double of the season.
• Geranen and La Terra both converted on sacrifice hits as well.
• Ieuter earned her first win the circle for Colgate.
 
Lineup Breakdown
• Bushee   (CF): 1-for-3
 Dowling  (SS): 1-for-2 with a run and walk
 Geranen  (3B): 1-for-1 with an RBI and walk
 Grennan  (RF): 0-for-3
 Murray   (LF): 0-for-2
 La Terra (2B): 1-for-1 with a run and walk as well as an RBI
 Ieuter    (P): 0-for-2 with a run and walk
 Moore    (DH): 1-for-2
 White    (PH): 0-for-1
 Romero   (1B): 1-for-2 with an RBI

Facts & Figures
• The Raiders recorded six hits to the Redhawks' four.
• Seattle stranded seven baserunners, while the Raiders left five.
• La Terra recorded her second long ball of the season and career.  
 
Straight From The Source
• Colgate head coach Melissa Finley: (on her thoughts from the game) "The team stepped onto the field with a common purpose today and it showed. Every single person came to play and I was really impressed with our defensive performance.
 
"Brigit (Ieuter) set the tone on the mound and her teammates backed her up. Offensively we did a great job executing when we needed to and I thought our pitch selection was excellent. Overall, it was a great team win and I was happy to see the progress we have made since the last time we took the field."

Up Next
• The Raiders next travel to Nevada for a doubleheader with the Wolf Pack on Sunday at noon and 2 p.m. Pacific time.
• Live stats will be available at the start of both games.