LAS CRUCES, N.M.-- After struggling in the circle and on the field on Day 1 of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, the CSU Bakersfield softball team looked like another team on Friday. The Roadrunners looked like the team that gave CSUB its best softball season this decade. Bakersfield earned a run-rule victory over top-seeded New Mexico State to advance to a potential championship game.

“I thought our team did a great job of bouncing back,” said Crissy Buck-Ziegler, Bakersfield's head coach. “We have talked about it all year long, about being able to handle adversity and going one pitch at a time. That's what we did today.”

The 'Runners got standout performances from its veterans on Friday. Buck-Ziegler had high praises for the team's leadership: “I said it on Senior Day; it's not who starts but who finishes. [The seniors] are finishing extremely strong. No matter what tomorrow brings, I'm extremely proud to have them as part of this program.”

After the Aggies took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the game went the Roadrunners' way. Kelsie Monroe, Bakersfield's starter, allowed just one hit after the opening frame while quieting one of the top offenses in the nation. The 'Runner bats were hot all game and came through to earn a 10-2 victory in just five innings.

Monroe, the WAC Pitcher of the Year, struck out Staci Rodriguez, the WAC Player of the Year, and looked primed to get out of the top of the first. A fielding error kept the inning alive for NMSU, a squad that capitalizes on mistakes. A bloop single from Kelsey Dodd followed by a line-drive double off the wall by Malena Padilla gave the Aggies a 2-0 lead off of two unearned runs.

The 'Runners copied NMSU by exploiting an error in the bottom of the first. Adrianna Cardoza, a redshirt junior second baseman, wound up on second after a throwing error by the Aggie pitcher. Shortstop Alexandrea Simmons delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit in half before Karsyn Guzman sent a two-run blast over the left center fence. The third baseman's third home run of the season put CSUB up 3-2.

Bakersfield jumped on top of another opportunity with two on and no outs in the second inning. Cardoza reached on an error for the second time in the game while outfielders Sydney Raeber and Madison Bundy both scored. With a 5-2 lead, Guzman reached on the fourth error of the day for NMSU. Cardoza came around to score on the mishap, giving the 'Runners a four-run advantage.

With one on in the bottom of the third, Bundy's single through the right side broke a CSUB Division I record. The senior's single gave her 16 straight games with a hit and set up another scoring opportunity. Raeber delivered with a two-RBI triple to extend the Bakersfield lead to 8-2.

After Monroe sat the Aggies down in order in the top of the fifth, Bundy came to bat with one on in the bottom half of the inning. Bakersfield's offensive leader sent her fifth home run of the season over the fence to cap the eight-run victory. Bundy finished the game going 2-for-3 with two RBI while Raeber added a pair of hits and RBI. Guzman went 1-for-3 with two RBI while Monroe struck out five Aggies in the contest. The senior pitcher earned her 16th victory of the season.

With the win, the 'Runners advanced to a potential championship game as the only undefeated team in the double elimination tournament. “We are going to keep doing what we have been doing,” Buck-Ziegler said. “Nothing really changes. We can't make it bigger than it is. We have got to play the game one pitch at a time.”

Saturday at 1 p.m. (MT), CSUB will play the champions of Friday's consolation bracket. A win in CSUB's first game would mean a WAC title for the 'Runners. A loss would send the two teams to a final game where winner takes all. Like the rest of the WAC Tournament contests, all of Bakersfield's remaining games can be seen on the WAC Digital Network.

~GoRunners.com~