The Chadron State College softball team closed the 2012 season, 7-1, against Metro State at home last Sunday.

Although they fell short of the RMAC tournament, a stacked schedule pitted the Eagles against the top nine teams in conference and the final victory left vindication for the team’s efforts throughout the season.

The Eagles women’s softball team keeps sliding out. The athletes played a triple header Saturday at home against CSU-Pueblo, pulling out only one victory. Losing two games with scores of 16-12 and 10-2 and, only one winning one game with a score of 15-7, the Eagles are third from last in the RMAC with a record of 12-21 and a 15-29 overall.

The Eagles softball team had a rough weekend. Going on the road to Nebraska-Kearney, the athletes didn’t have much to celebrate on the holiday break as they lost all four games in both of their double-headers. They also split their double-header Tuesday against nationally ranked Augustana.

The Eagles had a decent outcome over the weekend against Colorado Mesa University, winning two of four games. Saturday, the ladies lost the first competition 12-6 to the Mavericks but, rallied to pull off a 4-2 victory in the second. On Sunday, the team repeated the performance by winning the first 5-3 only to lose 6-5 in the second.

You know those cold mornings, when you try to start your car and it just whines pathetically for a few seconds, and then roars to life with no warning? That’s pretty much the story of the Eagles’ season so far.

The Eagles’ softball team isn’t giving the fans much to cheer about. After a trio of weekend losses, the girls now sit third from last in the standings with an overall record of 7-18 and 5-11 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Chadron’s softball team is looking to play a little hardball this season.

The players will open their preseason this weekend in Las Vegas, Nev., in the Desert Stinger tournament. They’ll compete with five different teams: University of Minnesota Duluth, Minn.; Minot State University, Minot, N.D.; Montana State University Billings, Mont.; University of Mary, Bismarck, N.D. and St. Cloud State University, Saint Cloud, Minn.

Jamie Mazankowski, senior of Kearney, hit a walkoff homerun for the Eagles to win their first of four games against Colorado School of Mines Orediggers, 5-2.

The Chadron State softball team had the last laugh against the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions at home this weekend.

The Chadron State Eagle’s softball team showed heart at its doubleheader against the New Mexico Highlands University Cowgirls in Colorado Springs, Colo., taking home a win and a loss.