CLEARWATER, Fla. -- February 7, 2016 -- Chadron State Softball ended the opening weekend in Florida on a high note, splitting a pair of matches but showing up nicely against a pair of tough opponents.

In their early match, delayed an hour due to field conditions, the Eagles went up against the No. 14 team in the nation, Florida Tech. CSC was unable to muster a run, getting only two hits, but showed they could go toe-to-toe with some of the best pitching in the country. With the Panthers getting on the board in the first inning, junior Kinsley Mason hung in to pitch five more innings of shutout softball, scattering five hits the rest of the way to hold Florida Tech to a 1-0 advantage.

In the later game, CSC took on Palm Beach Atlantic University, who dealt the 2015 team a run-rule 10-0 loss in six innings. Cierra Cosslett, who went the distance and then some in the season opener on Friday, pitched an eight-inning game to completion, giving up only one run. She struck out six in the winning effort.

With the scoreboard blank through regulation, PBA struck in the top of the eighth with an RBI single. In the deciding at-bat, Bekka Prokaski scored the winning run on a passed ball after Alyssa Geist was advanced home on a throwing error. The Eagles prevailed 2-1.

The CSC squad prepares for another long tournament weekend in Canyon, Texas, this weekend, as they compete in the West Texas Invitational.

Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Chadron State....... 000 000 0 -  0  2  0
Florida Tech........ 100 000 X -  1  7  1

Score by Innings                   R  H  E
------------------------------------------
Palm Beach Atlantic. 000 000 01 -  1  8  1
Chadron State....... 000 000 02 -  2  2  1