Saturday was busy for multiple University of Northern Colorado teams, all competing on the road this weekend.
Here’s how they stacked up in their respective competitions.
Men’s golf
The men’s golf team finished 18th on Saturday at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate, hosted by the University of Hawaii. UNC’s total was a 58-over 922.
After the first round of competition, the Bears sat in 18th place after hitting 17-over. They shaved six strokes off their total for an 11-over 299 after the second day of competition, but they still sat in 18th place.
UNC attempted to improve on its team score on the final day of competition. The Bears, unfortunately, struggled on the course and stayed in last.
Senior Jack Castiglia and junior Blake Danni finished in a five-way tie at No. 80 to lead the team. They finished 11-over 227.
Junior Dino Degotardi followed his teammates at T93, scoring 15-over 231.
This is the first season under new head coach Clayton Sikorski. He is looking to help UNC remain a top contender in the Big Sky.
Northern Colorado will continue its season on March 2-4 at the Wyoming Desert Classic in Palm Desert, California.
Softball
Northern Colorado softball had a rough outing against Nebraska at the Troy Cox Classic, hosted by New Mexico State, dropping the contest 15-3 in five innings.
The Cornhuskers got on the board first with a two-run homer, but the Bears responded in the bottom of the second to knot it up.
Nebraska’s offense couldn’t be stopped, though, scoring four runs in the top of the second and a massive eight-run fifth frame closed the door on the Bears. The Cornhuskers scored eight of its runs on two grand slams, showing their dominance at the plate.
UNC added a third run in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a key hit from freshman catcher Jenna Kobernick that brought home graduate first baseman Kaileigh Holland.
Unfortunately, the Bears offense wasn’t strong enough to overcome the deficit created by the Big Ten opponent.
Kobernick accounted for three hits and two RBI, while Holland scored twice and contributed an RBI of her own.
UNC had multiple opportunities to score in the contest, but the team wasn’t able to record timely hits to bring in the runners and left six on the bags.
The pitching staff struggled in the loss. Aside from giving up 15 runs to the Cornhuskers, UNC logged just three strikeouts and five walks from the circle. The two pitchers hit two batters, as well.
Northern Colorado’s second game wasn’t much better. It gave up fewer runs, but the offense was nonexistent in a 6-0 loss to Southeastern Louisiana.
The Lions consistently pushed runs over the plate in four separate innings. Their offense included key hits to bring home multiple players who’d reached base.
UNC recorded seven hits to create offense of its own. Freshman third baseman Peyton Gale and junior left fielder Lauren Strathean both contributed two hits. Unfortunately, the offense never turned into scores.
Additionally, the Bears committed three errors, which ultimately helped their opponent.
The Bears will finish their weekend at 11:30 a.m. Sunday against New Mexico State.
Baseball
Northern Colorado started its 2022 season on Friday with a loss against Pacific, falling 9-1.
The Tigers got on the board in the first to take a 2-0 lead after a double to bring two runners home.
UNC responded in the second frame with a run from sophomore first baseman Garrett Fisher. He crossed the plate after stealing third and a groundout from junior left fielder Cade Moeller. That was the only run the Bears could get across, though.
Pacific added two runs in the second and third innings for a 4-1 lead. UNC kept the Tigers from extending their lead in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames.
The Bears got runners in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings but weren’t able to get a hit to get them home. UNC left seven runners on base in the loss.
Then, in opposite fashion, Pacific found even more offense in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to add five runs and take a 9-1 lead. Some of the scores came after a UNC error.
Northern Colorado committed three errors in the opener, while Pacific committed just one.
UNC’s bullpen recorded 11 strikeouts and three walks in the loss. It also added four hits by a pitch. The Tigers finished with 14 strikeouts, one walk and hit two batters.
Things didn’t go the Bears’ way in either game on Saturday, either.
Northern Colorado took a 5-0 lead, including a four-run fifth inning, in the first matchup of the afternoon. Senior catcher Josh Glenn accounted for three hits and one score.
It seemed like the Bears had a good shot of coming out of the game alive, but then Pacific scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth and two in the eighth. The Tigers were able to capitalize when players got on base, something UNC struggled to do at various times in the contest.
Plus, the Tigers’ pitching staff was effective on the mound, recording multiple three up-three down frames.
Ultimately, the effective hits from Pacific provided a comeback win over UNC.
In the last game of the day, the Tigers continued their hot hitting to defeat Northern Colorado, 12-2.
Pacific scored two runs in the first inning, before UNC tied the game with two runs in two straight innings thanks to scores from junior center fielder Hayden Heinze and Moeller scored for the Bears.
A four-run fourth frame and five-run eighth virtually ended UNC’s chance at a win.
Pacific had 16 hits and three errors in game two, while Northern Colorado had five hits and just as many errors.
The Bears will finish their opening weekend at 2 p.m. Sunday against the Tigers.