Chadron State Snaps Losing Streak, Splits Home DH With NMHU

By John Murphy CSC SID BOX SCORE 1 BOX SCORE 2

 The Chadron State College softball team ended its 17-game losing streak on Saturday when they defeated the New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls 4-3 in game one of the team’s series, before falling 3-2 in game two.
 
The Eagles improved to 6-34 overall and 6-24 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. The Cowgirls are now 12-24 overall and 8-23 in the RMAC.
 
In CSC’s 4-3 game one victory, a trio of fourth inning homers propelled the Eagles over the Cowgirls.
 
With both teams only having one hit in the bottom of the fourth, Lauren Zimmerman began the half inning with a solo homer to left field.
 
Ashland Baca, a senior from Pueblo West, Colorado, took the next pitch to center field, giving CSC a 2-0 lead.
 
After an out and a Jessie Henchenski single, J’lyssa Martinez, a junior from Denver, Colorado, extended the Eagles lead to 4-0 with a two-run homer to right center.
 
New Mexico Highlands outfielders snagged two balls over the fence for two of the Eagles three outs in the inning.
 
The Cowgirls responded with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. After a single to center field, Lexi Apodaca hit a two-run homer of her own for the Cowgirls, making the score 4-2.
 
New Mexico Highlands added one more run in the top of the sixth inning with a solo home run.
 
Leading 4-3, the Chadron State defense tagged a runner out and Kenzi Garner forced two consecutive pop ups to end the game 4-3 in CSC’s favor.
 
Garner, a junior from Broomfield, Colorado, allowed seven hits in the complete game victory. The Eagles finished with four runs, nine hits and zero errors.
 
The Cowgirls scored one run in the second and added two more in the sixth inning in their 3-2, game two victory.
 
In the second inning, a run was walked home, giving Highlands a 1-0 lead. The two sixth inning runs were scored on a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout.
 
After going three up, three down in the sixth inning and trailing 3-0, the Eagles had one final chance in the bottom of the seventh.
 
With one out, Jazlyn Arvizo singled to center field. After the Cowgirls recorded the innings second out, Zimmerman, a junior from Reno, Nevada, launched her second homer of the day to center field, making the score 3-2.
 
With two outs, the Eagles hoped for a replica of game one with Baca and Zimmerman hitting back-to-back home runs.
 
The Cowgirls outfield had other plans and for the fourth time of the day, a spectacular play was made at the fence, snagging the home run from Baca and recording the third and final out.
 
Brooklyn Levin, a freshman from Littleton, Colorado, received the complete game loss for CSC. As a team, the Eagles had two runs, eight hits and three errors. The Cowgirls finished with three runs, eight hits and one error.
 
CSC and Highlands will play two more games tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m., in Chadron, Nebraska.