Softball team earns spot in postseason tournament

The Eagles prepare for the RMAC postseason tournament, which begins Thursday, May 1. The team claimed its spot in the tournament for the second time ever following this weekend’s games.

Chadron State’s softball team traveled to Spearfish, S.D., this weekend for a couple RMAC match ups against Black Hills State University and Colorado Mesa University.

In the first game, Sarah Knudsen, senior of Parker, Colo., and Taylor Bauer, freshman of Rapid City, S.D., each scored two runs to lead the Eagles to a 10-2 victory over Black Hills State.

The Eagles threw the first punch, going ahead 3-0 in the second, but the Yellow Jackets would respond with a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning. These were the first and last runs Black Hills would score.

Before the game came to an end after five innings due to the eight-run rule, six other Chadron players scored a run to give the Eagles the 10-2 edge over the Jackets. These players included: Courtney Lecher, freshman of Fort Collins, Colo., Rebecca Wetsch, junior of Erie, Colo., Morgan Wilhelm, freshman of Littleton, Colo., Casey Polk, junior of Golden, Colo., Caroline Johnson, sophomore of Firestone, Colo., and Shea Graham, sophomore of Colorado Springs, Colo.

“We knew that this was a team that has had some struggles this year statistically, but we also knew that it was important to keep our focus, play at our level, and not take them too lightly,” Knudsen said.

Kylee Polsley, senior of Omaha, pitched a complete game for the Eagles, striking out six while allowing only four hits.

Chadron State’s second game of the day came against the Mavericks of Colorado Mesa, who took advantage of a couple of Eagle errors to take a 3-1 victory.

Mesa scored a run in each of the first two innings, the second of which came off a Chadron State error.

Lecher responded in the third with a leadoff home run to center field, but the Eagles were still down a run.

The Mavericks scored their third and final run in the fourth inning.

Aryn Grywusiewicz, senior of Denver, pitched a complete game and was responsible for one strikeout and seven allowed hits.

The Eagles won both their games Saturday, beating Colorado Mesa, 4-3, followed by a win against Black Hills State, 6-2, giving the Eagles a 3-1 record for the weekend.

The Eagles edged out Colorado Mesa in the first game thanks to a few timely errors by Mesa. The Eagles did not score until the third inning, when Wetsch and Lecher reached base by errors. Katie Londo, senior of Colorado Springs, continued her strong season by hitting a single to left-center field, scoring Wetsch and Lecher. Another unearned run by Knudsen gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead going into the fourth inning.

However, Mesa tied the game in the fifth inning by scoring three runs. But the Eagles scored in the seventh inning when Wetsch hit an RBI single to bring in Knudsen, and Polsley was able to close out the win for the Eagles, pushing her pitching record this season to 13-6. Polsley gave up six hits and also struck out six hitters.

The Eagles won the second game more convincingly, beating the last-in-the-conference Black Hills State 6-2.

In the first inning, Chadron scored three runs, thanks to RBI’s from Londo, and Jessica Eatmon, junior of Broomfield, Colo. Knudsen had a solo home run in the second inning, and Bauer doubled in the fourth, scoring Zoe Humphries, freshman of Arvada, Colo.

Black Hills State only marginally closed the gap the rest of the way, scoring one run in the fourth and another in the fifth.

Grywusiewicz pitched well in the Eagle’s second game of the day, only allowing one earned run and six hits for the game.

The Eagles also competed against the University of Nebraska—Kearney Lopers Tuesday in a double header.

CSC split the games with the Lopers, winning the first game, 2-0, and losing the second game 4-3.

Polsley struck out two and allowed two hits. Grywusiewicz, as the relief pitcher, struck out three and also allowed two hits.

Polsley improves her record to 14-6, which ties the school record for second-most wins.

Breeze Phillips, sophomore of Evergreen, Colo., was the losing pitcher in the second game. She pitched 6 2/3 innings. She allowed nine hits and four runs. She struck out three.

Between the two games, with eight at bats, Londo marked three hits and one RBI.

Bauer faced the plate five times in two games. She tallied one run on two hits, including one double.

Eatmon went up to the plate six times and posted one run on three hits. She also drove in one run.

Knudsen crossed home once after facing the pitcher five times and scoring one hit.

Wetsch only came to the plate four times in one game, but she managed to come home after one hit.

Kruger and Anthony each added one double in the second game.

Chadron State closes out the regular season at home against Fort Lewis next weekend, with double-headers scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s games start at noon.