Mavericks Take First Two Of Grand Junction Series

Photo Courtesy/Bayley Zobel/CMU Athletics

The Chadron State College softball team was in Grand Junction on Friday, for the first of its final two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference doubleheaders of the season. The Colorado Mesa University Mavericks won games one and two in the series, slapping three homers in a 6-2 victory, and cruising to an 11-0 win in the second contest.

The Eagles fell to 11-35 (10-24 RMAC) while the Mavs continue to lead the league, along with Colorado Christian University, with a 33-3 league mark. CMU is 45-7 overall.

Three CSC throwing errors in the second, along with four base hits, helped push across three runs for Mesa in the second inning. One of the base hits was a triple by freshman Myah Arrieta with two outs.

The Mavericks’ other three runs came on solo homers – two in the third inning and one in the fourth.

CSC’s J’Lyssa Martinez singled, Aliyah Rothstein walked, and Sloane Quijas also singled to score Martinez in the fifth inning. The Eagles got a solo home run of their own, from Lauren Zimmerman in the sixth, to make it 6-2.

Tia Kohl (6-15) saw her four-game winning streak snapped, pitching a six-inning complete game. Paige Adair improved to 15-2 for the Mavericks.

CMU’s Ellie Smith also improved to 15-2 on Friday, pitching a one-hitter in game two of the series, as the Mavericks scored in each inning to end the game 11-0 after four and a half innings.

Mesa batters went 14-of-25 at the plate, with two doubles, a triple, and two home runs. Five of CMU’s runs came on two swings of the bat by junior Nicole Christensen, when she put the ball over the wall for two-run and three-run homers.

CSC’s Lauren Zimmerman broke up a perfect game in the final inning, with a single to right field in the fifth for the Eagles lone hit.

Gabby Russell recorded the loss for the Eagles, falling to 2-8.

The Saturday doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.