RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Colgate Softball dropped a pair of games to California Baptist on Wednesday night. The Lancers topped the Raiders 4-3 and 7-2 in the first matchups between the two teams in program history.
Junior Kara Fusco scored five RBI, including a two-RBI home run to end the day 3-for-7 at the plate to lead the Raider offense.
GAME 1 | CBU 4, Colgate 3
The Raiders got on the board first in the opening inning of the game. Senior Rachel Carney reached second base after being hit by a pitch and a wild pitch. Fusco singled to left field to bring Carney home and put the Raiders up by one.
Both offenses were quiet for most of the game as both pitchers put on a show, with senior
Bailey Misken striking eight batters in five innings to hold the score at 1-0.
CBU tied the game at one in the bottom of the sixth after a walk and back-to-back singles.
The Raider bats started to get hot in the top of the seventh inning after Elizabeth Nitka singled to get on base and then advanced off a wild pitch. Carney and sophomore Jillian Herbst walked on back-to-back at-bats to load the bases for Colgate.
Fusco broke the tie with a single up the middle to push Colgate ahead 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh.
Unfortunately for Colgate, the Lancers scored three runs in the final inning to walk off with a 4-3 win.
GAME 2 | CBU 9, Colgate 4
The Lancers opened the nightcap with the same momentum they ended game one with, scoring five runs off freshmen Alexa Acker and Maya Servedio to end the first inning.
The Raiders took offense to the early deficit, as Taylor Ludwick opened the second with a single to center field. Freshman Cate Murray walked, and then Nitka singled to the right to load the bases.
Rowan Mulholland reached on a fielder's choice in the next at-bat to bring senior Ludwick home and put Colgate on the board. Carney hit a sac fly to center to bring home Murray to end the top of the inning and cut the score to 5-2.
CBU extended its lead in the bottom of the third off a two-RBI home run to bump the deficit to five runs again.
Colgate caught a spark in the top of the fifth, with Carney singling to right center. Herbst reached first on a fielder's choice and was ultimately brought home by Fusco's dinger that cut CBU's lead to 7-4.
The Lancers eventually added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the second game of the doubleheader with a final score of 9-4.
UP NEXT
Colgate (8-14) continues its California road trip, heading to San Diego on Friday, March 17, to take on South Dakota and San Diego. The doubleheader is slated for 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. (ET).
