| Senior Rudi Cantu hit .368 with six runs and four stolen bases this weekend. |
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Senior Rudi Cantu went 2-for-2, but it was not enough, as Colorado State scored a 5-1 victory over UTSA on the final day of the Hotel Encanto Invitational held Sunday at the New Mexico State Softball Complex.
Cantu, who finished the five-game tournament with 7-for-19 (.368) with six runs scored, had two of seven hits for the Roadrunners, who fell to 2-3 with the loss.
Rebecca Penland had two hits and a pair of RBIs to lead the Rams, who improved to 1-3 on the season. Kelli Eubanks (1-2) struck out nine and allowed just one run in the complete-game victory.
Colorado State struck for a pair of runs in its first at-bat. Caitlin Stem reached on a leadoff single and moved to third on a throwing error off the bat of Jenna Krough. Christine Thomsen then pushed Stem home with a sacrifice fly to left field. Krough, who stole second, then came around to score on a sac bunt by Penland to make it 2-0.
UTSA cut the deficit in half in the top of the third. Senior Kelly Cato and Cantu reached on back-to-back singles and a bunt- single by sophomore Ashley Kappler loaded the bases with no outs. Colorado State worked out of the jam with a couple of fielder’s choices, forcing out runners at home on consecutive ground balls. Junior Kristin Kappler came through with a two-out single to left that plated her sister, Ashley, but sophomore Caitlyn Ivy was tagged out at third on the play to end the frame.
The Rams tacked on a run in the fourth on an RBI fielder’s choice by Lyssa Roberts and pushed two more across in the fifth behind RBI doubles from Penland and Allison Majam to provide the final margin.
Holmes (0-1) allowed four earned runs on seven hits in five innings in the loss.
The Roadrunners return to the diamond next weekend at the Marriott Houston Classic.