GREELEY, Colo. ? Freshman centerfielder Jill McClelland enjoyed a monster day at the plate, but her big effort couldn't completely overcome defensive and pitching struggles as the CSUB softball team split its pool play games at the NCAA Division I Independent Championship Friday at Butler-Hancock Field on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado.

McClelland went 3-for-4 with a triple and a game-tying, two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning in CSUB's 7-6 win over host Northern Colorado. She added a double and another two-run shot in an 8-3 loss to Houston Baptist.

The opener looked like a laugher early. The 'Runners began the scoring in the first inning when Kelli Bailey led off with a walk and scored on a McClelland's triple. Justeen Maeva followed with an RBI single.

But CSUB found itself dodging a hailstorm of bullets the rest of the way. UNC loaded the bases with one out in the third but couldn't score. The Bears then put runners on second and third with one out in the fourth before starter Brittany Johnson worked out of the jam again.

UNC finally broke through in the fifth. After loading the bases with one out again, Kailee Vessey cashed in the opportunity with a two-run double. McClelland came through with an RBI single in the bottom of the third to restore CSUB's lead at 3-2, but that served only to set up the dramatic, seesaw finish.

After a two-run, pinch-hit homer from Hillary Van Otterloo capped a three-run seventh and gave UNC a 5-3 lead, CSUB was down to its final out in the bottom of the seventh when Bailey doubled to right field. McClelland took a ball before hitting her no-doubt shot to deep left.

Playing the international tiebreaker rule, which places a runner on second base to start the eighth inning, UNC used a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to go ahead 6-5 in the top of the eighth. But the Roadrunners responded when Danielle Lyman brought home Kasie Muro with a one-out single in bottom of the eighth. Stefanie Frei followed Lyman with a single through the right side. When UNC rightfielder Erin Geddis misplayed the ball, Lyman raced around from first with the winning run.

Things didn't go so well for CSUB in the nightcap. Facing a struggling Houston Baptist team that had lost nine of its last 12 games, the Roadrunners couldn't get past the bottom half of the Huskie batting order.

The bottom three batters in the HBU lineup entered the game hitting just .225, but the trio reached base a total of seven times, finishing 4-for-6 with seven runs scored.

With the Roadrunners trailing 1-0 in the fourth, McClelland hit a two-run blast, Maeva doubled and Jaimey Kleinsmith added an RBI single to put CSUB on top 3-1. But HBU roared back with four in the fourth and three more in the fifth to put the game away.

CSUB will begin bracket play with a quarterfinal game against either Seattle University of the University of North Dakota Saturday at Noon, MDT. Should the Roadrunners win, their semifinal game will be Saturday night at 5 p.m. MDT.

Henderson and Wilkinson; Johnson, Chavez (7), Schlegel (7) and Kleinsmith. WP ? Kristen Schlegel (1-0). LP ? Kelli Henderson (5-10).
2B ? Bailey (B), Vessey (N). 3B- McClelland (B). HR ? McClelland (B), Van Otterloo (N).

Truan, Chavez (6) and Muro; Weidert and Leatherwood. WP ? Jammie Weidert (8-8). LP ? Shawna Truan (9-8).
2B ? Maeva (B), McClelland (B), Leatherwood (H). 3B- Campanello (H). HR ? McClelland (B).