Rams Fall Short of Closure They Desire

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May 2

12:00 PM

Softball

vs RV Grand Canyon

May 6

Softball

vs Mountain West Conference

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Grand Canyon	0	0	0	1	0	0	8	9	11	1
Colorado State	0	1	0	0	2	2	2	7	6	1

Grand Canyon

Colorado State

Confidence is good. An internal feeling which can carry a player and even teams to the brink. It's really nice to carry as a young squad.

But what Jen Fisher's team really wanted Friday afternoon was closure, the type which bolsters the confidence her Colorado State softball team carries despite what has been a rough ride at times.

The first six innings were everything the Rams could have hoped for while hosting Grand Canyon at Ram Field. The squad took a 5-1 lead into the final frame against a Lopes' team which will enter the Mountain West tournament as the top seed.

A signature win. One that proves something.

Three homers and eight runs later, the Rams were looking at a deficit they couldn't overcome, falling 9-7 to slip to 23-26, 11-13 in conference play. On the verge of exactly what they wanted, the result was a gut punch they didn't need.

"I definitely think we'd like to prove it and to everyone else in the conference because I think a lot of people overlook us for sure," Abby Edwards said. "They're like, 'oh you shouldn't really be there, like we got lucky with some games, but I definitely think to prove to ourselves and to other people we definitely do belong. We are a much different team than last year, and we have a much different attitude, effort, vibe … Everything about us this year."

Fisher's squad is youthful at the core. Some of the lessons along the way have been hard, and in her eyes, avoidable. While she agrees the group does carry itself with confidence, the ability to close out a win is lacking at times.

She wants them to embrace the moments, and at times they did. Just not at the end.

Offensively, Colorado State didn't have a lot of hits early, but they had a lead because the Lopes' pitching staff was creating traffic on their own. Three Rams were plunked in the second inning to load the bases – the final two with two outs – and Lauren Stucky cashed in with a sharp single to score a run.

In the fifth, it was a trio of walks to load the bases for the Rams, with Edwards driving in two with a single to right. A frame later, a single and an error on a sacrifice bunt set the stage for RBI hits by Stucky and Jailey Wilson.

Right on the doorstep.

"That is what you're looking for when it comes to playing a team like GCU. But I mean at the end of the day you could look at box score, and you could show that that was a good game for six solid innings," Stucky said, who finished with a pair of hits and three RBI. "That was a good game. We proved ourselves and kind of give everyone else a heads up. We messed with it as well."

Reagan Wick had struck out seven through six and the only blemish was a solo homer in the fourth inning. The Lopes had four extra-base hits in the game, all clearing the fence.

Ellie Pond homered to lead off the seventh. After an out, an infield single and a perfectly placed bunt set the table, then the first walk Wick allowed followed. What came next was a grand slam by Jada Cooper and the lead was gone.

By the time Pond came up again, there were two more on and she homered to left again to make it an eight-run frame.

Edwards' take was it was an immature inning on the Rams' part, all the way around, which went back to Fisher's point her squad needs to take the right attitude to close out wins.

"And that was (pitching) Coach Taylor (Gilmore's) message: hey, as a pitching staff, we've had some nerves in those late innings, and we really need to get out there and just do our job," Fisher said. "Something's got to change in that. And I liked her accountability with them, and they definitely said, 'yeah, we agree.'"

A fifth GCU pitcher entered and more free traffic came right away via a walk and another hit batter. Then with one out, another walk to load the bases. Stucky came through again with a run-scoring hit, then Jailey Wilson drove in a run with a ground out, but that was as close as the Rams could get.

The positive was the fight. The downside was they had to have some in the first place.

"I feel like that's what's very strong about our team is seventh inning. We're like, all right, who cares?" Stucky said. "It's the seventh inning, let's come back, keep our heads high and most past that. You're gonna get a hit, the next person knows they're gonna get a hit. We all have confidence in ourselves and each other."

Technically from here on out, the Rams are going to face a team better than them in the standings, including Sunday's regular-season finale against GCU. The Rams will enter the conference tournament as either the fifth or sixth seed.

Confidence will help. What they'd prefer is what's necessary from here on out, which is some closure.

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Players Mentioned

Abby Edwards

Lauren Stucky

Reagan Wick

Jailey Wilson