SAN DIEGO-- The Roadrunner softball team continued the USD Tournament on Saturday with a pair of games. CSU Bakersfield picked up its first win of the season in the afternoon game against Southern Utah before making it back-to-back victories with a win over Montana.

“They were great team wins,” said Crissy Buck-Ziegler. “We came out with a lot of leadership and the team is playing well together.” The 'Runners hung on for a tight 2-1 victory over the Thunderbirds before capping the night with a 4-0 shutout of the Grizzlies.

Game 1 - CSUB 2, Southern Utah 1

Amber Mills (Jr., Fresno, Calif., Clovis West HS) led the 'Runners to their first win of the season with a strong effort in the circle. Mills finished the game giving up only one run while scattering seven hits and allowing no walks in a complete game against SUU.

The 'Runners opened the scoring in the top of the fourth inning after loading the bases with one out. A wild play resulted in the Thunderbirds' catcher making an error at the plate, allowing Natalie Saucedo (Jr., Burlingame, Calif., College of San Mateo) to round third and score to take a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the seventh, the 'Runners capitalized on another SUU error and added an insurance run. With Alexandrea Simmons (Jr., Ontario, Calif., Mt. SAC) on second, Selena Gonzalez (So., Manteca, Calif., San Joaquin Delta College) singled in the infield, but Simmons' speed allowed her to come around third and score to give CSUB a 2-0 lead heading into the last three outs. Gonzalez finished the game going 3-for-4 and had the only RBI of the game for Bakersfield.

After giving up back-to-back singles in the bottom of the first inning, Amber Mills went on to retire 17 of the next 19 batters she faced to head into the bottom of the seventh. Mills finally ran into serious trouble when a double from Ashley Clayson brought in a run for SUU. She would go on to give up a single to the next batter, but senior Madison Bundy (Anacortes, Wash., Oregon State) rifled in a throw from centerfield that gunned down the would-be tying run and ended the game.

Game 2 - CSUB 4, Montana 0

Kelsie Monroe (Sr., Los Banos, Calif., San Joaquin Delta College) shut down the Grizzlies inning after inning. Bakersfield's senior righty finished the complete game shutout with eight strikeouts, just one off of her career high. Monroe scattered seven hits and walked no Grizzlies, giving the 'Runner pitchers a total of 0 walks on the day.

The 'Runners took an early lead over Montana when Simmons singled home Saucedo in the bottom of the second, making the score 1-0. The Grizzlies pressured Monroe by putting two runners in scoring position, but the veteran 'Runner got out of the jam by inducing a pop up.

After an out to leadoff the bottom of the third, the Roadrunners put together back-to-back singles to return the pressure. Saucedo picked up an RBI with a double to right field to push the score to 2-0. Sabrina Perez (Jr., West Covina, Calif., Santa Ana College) would record a double of her own, plating two more 'Runners and giving CSUB a 4-0 lead through three innings.

Montana would not go down without a fight as UM had runners on the corners in the top of the seventh with two outs. Monroe shut the door and picked up her first win of the year and the second of the day for CSUB. After going 2-for-2 with two RBI, Perez now leads the team in both batting average (.467) and RBI (4).

CSU Bakersfield (2-6) will return to the USD Softball Complex for two more games on Sunday. The 'Runners will open the final day against Kent State at 11:30 a.m. before concluding the USD Tournament against the host team at 4:30 p.m. Links to the live stats are again available at GoRunners.com

~GoRunners.com~