Softball goes 1-4 as hosts in Pueblo, Colorado

Chadron State’s home games scheduled for this past weekend were wisely moved to Colorado State University-Pueblo to avoid the games being cancelled by Winter Storm Ulmer, but the cold seemed to follow the Eagles offense which averaged just 2.75 runs per game.

CSC freshman Haleigh Hoefs, freshman of Lincoln, stood out for the Eagles offense, driving in four of the Eagles’ 11 runs over the course of the weekend. 

After a 7-3 loss to Colorado Mines in their first game Saturday, the Eagles earned their lone win of the weekend 4-3 over Adams State. 

In the fifth inning Hoefs hit a sacrifice fly, scoring fellow freshman Bailey Marvel, of Lakewood, Colorado, and advancing Alyssa Geist, junior of Broomfield, Colorado, to third. Geist was then driven in by a single through the right side by Kayla Michel during the next at-bat.  The runs extended Chadron’s lead to 4-1. 

Adams State managed to score a runner in each of the sixth and seventh innings but the Eagles left the Grizzlies trying run stranded on first. 

1-1 entering the second day of competition, the Eagles and Grizzlies were tied after eight innings but Adams State pinch runner Rebecca Wood scored from second base on a fielding error. The Grizzlies then retired three consecutive batters to earn a 5-4 win. 

In their final game of the series, Colorado Mines scored six runs in the third inning and six more through the fourth and fifth for a 12-0 shutout victory. 

The Eagles return to Colorado again this weekend for a four-game series at Colorado Christian University.

Following the spoiling of the Eagles’ home opener, Chadron isn’t scheduled for another home contest until April 6 when they host a series with Colorado Mesa.