Eagles get just one win at home against Dixie

The Chadron State softball team lost three of four games against Dixie State University this weekend, in their second home series of the season. Saturday the Eagles won 12-4 in the series opener, but lost 10-4 in the next game. Sunday CSC was defeated 2-1 and 8-6.

CSC’s offensive onslaught in their first game, Saturday, began in the third inning. With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the third inning, CSC’s Kayla Michel, senior of Brighton, Colorado, hit a grand slam against Dixie State pitcher Cambrie Hazel, sophomore of Spanish Fork, Utah, to give the Eagles a 6-4 lead. The Eagles would add another run to extend their lead to 7-4 before the close of the inning. 

Before Michel’s heroics in the bottom of the third, Dixie State had taken a 4-0 lead in the top of the second and chased starting pitcher Cassidy Horn, freshman of Colorado Springs. Horn was replaced by fellow freshman Peyton Propp, of Lakewood, Colorado, 

The Eagles did not trail for long, though, as Ellie Owens, junior of Longmont, Colorado, hit a two-run home run to cut CSC’s deficit to two runs and set the stage for Michel’s go-ahead grand-slam. 

After Chadron’s fielders retired three consecutive batters in the top of the fourth, the Eagle offense went back to work. 

Haleigh Hoefs, freshman of Lincoln, hit her 16th double of the season to score Bailey Marvel, freshman of Lakewood, Colorado, then later scored from second base on an RBI single by Michel. 

Not finished, Owens hit another two-run homer to make it 11-4.

The Trailblazers gave up two more hits and then walked the bases loaded, but managed to get out of the inning having only allowed one more run on a walk of CSC’s Geist. 

The Eagles held Dixie State scoreless in the top of the fifth, ending the game 12-4.

Despite losing the remainder of the weekend’s games, CSC played in close contests Sunday. The third game of the series, Sunday morning, saw a defensive effort by both sides. 

The Trailblazers scored the game’s first run as Brenna Cornwall, junior of Tremonton, Utah, scored from an RBI single from Riley Tyteca, junior of Farmington, Utah, in the first inning. The Eagles responded in the bottom of the fourth inning as Hoefs hit her eight home run of the season to tie the game 1-1. 

Dixie recaptured the lead in the top of the fifth when Tyteca lined out to CSC’s infield, but an error sent senior Bailey Gaffin, of Glendale, Arizona, home for the unearned run. Hazel struck out five CSC batters in the remaining innings, preserving the 2-1 victory for Dixie.

The weekend’s final game, Sunday, saw a near comeback by the Eagles, but it fell just short. The Trailblazers started fast with a pair of two-run homers from Jessica Gonzales, junior of Kingsburg, California, and Tyteca in the top of the first. 

Dixie’s Gaffin added another two run home run in the top of the fourth inning and Mikaela Thomson, sophomore of Herriman, Utah, scored a run at the top of the fifth inning, giving Dixie a 7-0 lead. 

The Eagles’ Bailey Rominger, junior of Vail, Arizona, gave CSC momentum with a double to right center that scored three Eagle runners. Rominger then crossed the plate on a single by Hoefs in Eagles’ next at-bat. Hoefs was then driven in by Owens two batters later to bring the Eagles within two. 

CSC’s Katelyn Eldredge, junior of Arvada, Colorado, pinch hitting for Michel, scored on a throwing error after CSC’s Lauren Renck, sophomore of Pueblo, Colorado lined out to third, cutting Dixie’s lead  to 7-6 heading in the top of the sixth inning. 

In the bottom of the inning, Trailblazer Dani Bartholf, senior of Gilbert, Arizona, scored the game’s final run off an error, and Hazel struck out three CSC batters in the bottom of the seventh to give Dixie an 8-6 win.