LAS CRUCES, N.M.-- After giving up a 5-0 lead, the Roadrunner softball team battled back to earn a first-round victory 8-7 over Missouri-Kansas City on Thursday. The come-from-behind win boosts CSU Bakersfield into the winner's half of the next round.

"It's a great day to be a Roadrunner," said Crissy Buck-Ziegler, Head Coach of the 'Runners. "The girls stuck together. It took a lot of heart and a lot of guts. It was a good team win and good momentum moving into tomorrow."

After redshirt junior Adrianna Cardoza hit a line-drive single to center field to lead off the game, the 'Runners got a bit of help from the 'Roos. An infield single by junior Alexandrea Simmons led to a bad throw to first. The ball dribbled into the right field corner and allowed Simmons to slide under a tag at home as CSUB took a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the second, Madison Bundy and Sydney Raeber had back-to-back singles to set up a good scoring chance for the 'Runners. A double down the left field line by Cardoza scored Bundy and another UMKC error allowed Raeber to extend the lead to 4-0.

Later in the inning, Cardoza came around to score off of a throwing error while Simmons was stealing second base. The 'Runners took a 5-0 lead after the third error of the game for UMKC, but the 'Roos would not go down quietly.

Cinda Ramos, the starting pitcher for UMKC, made up for a slow start with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second. The next batter, Marlee Maples, copied Ramos with a solo shot to the exact same spot as the 'Roos drew within three runs.

Monroe continued to struggle after the home runs, loading the bases while getting just one out. The senior pitcher induced a grounder that should have resulted in a force out at home, but a wild throw allowed UMKC to score two more runs. Katie Kelley drove in two more unearned runs with a single. The six-run inning helped the 'Roos take a 6-5 lead.

The game remained quiet for the next two innings until Bundy broke the silence. Bakersfield's senior outfielder hit her team-leading fourth home run of the season, tying the game at six runs apiece. After a Raeber single, Cardoza curved her second bomb of the year around the left field foul pole to put CSUB up 8-6 after four and a half innings.

Monroe put together three straight scoreless innings after the second-inning fiasco, but the 'Roos pressured in the bottom of the sixth. With bases loaded and just one out, Karsyn Guzman snared a screaming line drive inches off of the ground and doublec off the runner on third. With the fantastic defensive play, the 'Runners got out of the inning unscathed.

The bottom of the seventh would prove to be no less exciting as the 'Roos once again loaded the bases with one out. Monroe hit a batter to make the score 8-7, but retired the next two batters to seal off the win.

Cardoza led the 'Runners offensively, going 3-for-5 on the game with three RBI. Bundy ended up 3-for-4 while Simmons and Julea Cavazos each added a pair of hits for CSUB. Monroe picked up her 15th win and 19th complete game of the season. The senior righty struck out four 'Roos and only two of her seven runs were earned.

CSUB (20-23, 7-8 WAC) advances to the next round of the double elimination tournament with the win. The 'Runners will play No. 1 New Mexico State which defeated No. 5 Utah Valley 13-3. The next contest for CSUB will take place Friday at 1:30 p.m. (MT). As with all of the WAC Tournament games, you can watch the games live via the WAC Digital Network.

~GoRunners.com~