Softball splits final home games

Chadron State softball team split its final home series with Colorado School of Mines which was cut down to two games Monday after dealing with rescheduling from weather and field conditions.

Despite having a sunny, 80-degree day on Friday, snow that arrived on Saturday pushed the weekend’s softball games back to Sunday and Monday, but due to unplayable field conditions, Sunday’s games were canceled, leading to two softball games on Monday for the last home games of the 2022 season.

“I think the team did great in order to take the win,” Tia Kohl, senior of Wichita, Kansas, said. “The defense had my back 100% of the time and I knew I could rely on the offense to score more runs to ensure the win in the first game.”

The Eagles took the first game, 6-1, with two home runs that brought in five of their six runs.

In the first inning, Mackenzi Kroll, sophomore of Brighton, Colorado, homered to left field, taking herself Sloane Quijas, sophomore of Erie, Colorado, and Aliyah Rothstein, freshman of Lakewood, Colorado, around the bases for three runs.

“I was happy to see 100% effort from the whole team, not just the starters but the bench players as well,” Kohl said. “Everyone was locked into every pitch, and it showed.”

Kroll earned the next RBI with a single down the left field line to advance the base runner, brining Rothstein home once again.

Addison Spears, junior of Berthoud, Colorado, earned herself another homer of the season, allowing herself and Allie Mason, senior of Loveland, Colorado, to score in the fifth inning and to end the scoring for the Eagles.

Along with Mason, Kohl and Gabby Russell, senior of Oceanside, California, were recognized during the senior appreciation game, since it was the last time the three would be playing on the CSC Softball Field.

“I was very emotional during the senior day recognition,” Kohl said. “I am going to miss playing softball in general, but especially with these girls. I made so many friendships that I will have for a lifetime.”

Kohl pitched the entire first game, for seven innings. With 130 total pitches, she had two walks and two strikeouts, allowing six hits, and one run of the 32 batters she faced.

Despite the home runs seen by the Eagles in the first game, their strong at bats didn’t transfer over into the second game, taking their ninth scoreless loss, 8-0.

The Orediggers rallied in six runs in the first inning and brought in two more in the second inning.

Aliyah Rothstein, freshman of Lakewood, Colorado, was the only Eagle to earn a hit in the five innings played.

Russell started the game on the mound, pitching 44 times in 1.2 innings. She allowed eight hits and eight runs against the 16 batters she faced.

Kohl closed out the game with 57 pitches in 3.1 innings. Facing 13 batters, she allowed two hits and a walk but also earned five strikeouts.

“I really wanted to pitch my best since it was my last home games here and I wanted to give my all and leave it on that field and I think I did just that,” Kohl said. “I knew my team needed me for game two and I wanted to give everything I had for my teammates.

Despite being done at home, the Eagles still have one series left against Colorado Mesa University Friday and Saturday in Grand Junction, the first game starting at noon.