Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – It wasn't easy, but the Chadron State College softball advanced to the second day of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship. The Eagles suffered a 4-3 setback in eight innings to the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs to begin the tourney but bounced back with a 12-9 victory over Regis in the first consolation game Thursday at the Colorado Mesa University Softball Field.
 
Chadron State, now 28-22 this season, will play the loser of Fort Lewis vs. Metro State Friday afternoon at 3:15 p.m.
 
In the opening game, Nikki Hoffman hit a double with two outs in the top of the eighth that proved to be the game winner for UCCS.
 
The Mountain Lions (26-17) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Emily Jennings hit a two run home run down the left field line. The Eagles answered with two runs in the bottom of the second when Shea Graham roped a double to left field that scored Caroline Johnson and Katie Londo.
 
The Mountain Lions took the lead back in the top of the third when Jessica Belsterling, who earned the victory in the pitching circle, hit a sacrifice fly to score Korey Kulpins.
 
However, once again CSC responded when Londo doubled to right center to score Courtney Lecher. The Eagles seemed to be in business – they had runners on second and third with one out – but Belsterling got a batter to foul out before recording an inning-ending strikeout. 
 
Belsterling and CSC's Kylee Polsley, who struck out eight, settled down following the third inning and both didn't allow a runner past second base until the Mountain Lions' rally in the eighth.
 
The eighth inning started out innocently enough. Polsley got the first two batters out but Jennings and Dani Fonseca hit back-to-back singles to set up Hoffman's game-winner. Polsley minimized the damage, though, and got Becca Needler to fly out to end the inning.
 
The Eagles went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Chadron State finished with six hits in the game. Londo had three of them, including a triple and a double.
 
While the Eagles' offense struggled against UCCS, they found their groove against Regis, scoring 12 runs on 13 hits.
 
Chadron State led 8-0 after threeinnings, but Regis hit a pair of home runs and scored seven runs in the bottom of the third to get back in the thick of things. However, the Eagles scored four runs in the fourth, including a two run homer from Casey Polk, and Breeze Phillips and Polsley combined to stymie the Regis offense the rest of the way in CSC's victory.
 
Sarah Knudsen led the offense with three hits and three RBIs, but three others drove in two apiece. Courtney Lecher hit a two run homer, Katelyn Kruger had a two run double and Londo went 3-for-5.