Softball splits pod series in Pueblo

The Chadron State Softball team split four games in Pueblo, Colorado, last weekend. The Eagles defeated Fort Lewis 8-5, Friday and 4-1, Saturday, but lost to host CSU Pueblo 5-4, Friday, and 8-0, Saturday.

The win puts Chadron State College in 11th place, moving them up two points on the RMAC standings.

The Eagles’ offense capitalized off early Skyhawk errors during the weekend’s first game. Down by two in the bottom of the first, CSC scored off back-to-back errors to go up 3-2.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, the Eagles gained momentum on offense when Katelyn Eldredge, junior of Arvada, Colorado, was hit by a pitch from Fort Lewis’ Kelly Decker, junior of Oro Valley, Arizona, scoring Kayla Michel, senior of Brighton, Colorado.

Another Eagle scored off an unearned run when Alyssa Geist, junior of Broomfield, Colorado, was walked. Bailey Rominger, junior of Vail, Arizona, capped off the fourth inning when she scored an unearned run off a wild pitch, giving the Eagles a 7-4 lead entering the fifth inning.

Fort Lewis responded with a home run single by Taylor Hollestelle, junior of Morenci, Arizona, in the fifth. CSC put the game away when Haleigh Hoefs, freshman of Lincoln, hit a double to left centerfield, scoring Angelica Maples, junior of Marysville, California, for the game’s final run as the Eagles won 8-5.

The Eagles started fast, but could not sustain momentum during their first game against CSU Pueblo on Friday. Baily Marvel, freshman of Lakewood, Colorado, scored from a double by Hoefs, who tied the CSC single-season record with 19 doubles. 

With two outs at the top of the fifth, Hoefs continued her impressive afternoon when she hit a two-run homer, extending CSC’s lead 4-2.

CSU Pueblo tied the ballgame when Jessica Teller, freshman of Firestone, Colorado, scored an off an Eagle error and Michaela Burpee, senior of Union City, California, scored after a grounded out.

Tied 4-4 with only one out in the bottom of the seventh, CSU Pueblo’s Burpee hit a walk-off home run to centerfield, defeating the Eagles 5-4 in a comeback effort.

In Saturday’s opening game, Pueblo shut out the Eagle offense to win 8-0 in five innings, but the Eagles would bounce back in the next game, earning their second win against Fort Lewis after breaking a 1-1 tie in the top of the seventh inning.

Eagle sophomore Lauren Renck, playing in her hometown, drove in pinch runner Kendyl Moody, senior of Lakewood, Colorado, for the go-ahead run. 

Moody took over baserunning duties for teammate Kayla Michel, who singled to right field early in the inning. Junior Ellie Owens, of Longmont, Colorado, advanced Moody into scoring position at second with a sacrifice bunt, and an error on Rominger’s hit to the Skyhawk shortstop during the next at-bat moved her to third. 

The Eagles drove in two more runs before the end of the inning to make it 4-1. In the bottom of the seventh the Skyhawks put just one runner on base and advanced her to third, but the Eagles defense ended the inning and the game before Fort Lewis could score again. 

The Eagles still have some hope of qualifying for the RMAC postseason, but they’ll need to win three of four games at home against rival Black Hills State Yellow Jackets this weekend.