PUEBLO, Colo. -- April 20, 2019 -- Chadron State College softball remained 11th in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, at 10-25 in league play, and 13-32 overall, with another split on Saturday against the Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves (11-23 RMAC) and Fort Lewis College Skyhawks (11-25 RMAC) in Pueblo.
Each team in the pod series split its games on Saturday to remain in the same order in the conference standings as it finished on Friday. Pueblo beat the Eagles 8-0 in five innings, CSC defeated FLC 4-1, and the Skyhawks topped the host ThunderWolves 3-2.
In the day's first game, CSU-Pueblo scored three runs in the first inning, three in the fourth, and two in the fifth to invoke the run rule. The ThunderWolves' Taylor Stupp pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout.
Kayla Michel had the Eagles' only base hit in the game, an infield single in the fourth inning, but was left stranded.
Cassidy Horn was charged the loss, slipping to 5-7 on the season.
CSC's
Peyton Propp went the distance against Fort Lewis, allowing only one run, as the Eagles plated four unearned runs to win their final game of the series.
Fort Lewis had a pair of base hits including an RBI triple in the first inning, to take a 1-0 lead.
Chadron State tied the game in the second after
Ellie Owens and
Bailey Rominger singled, then Owens scored on an error at third base.
Lauren Renck had the game-winning RBI in the top of the seventh, plating
Kendyl Moody who pinch-ran after a leadoff single by Michel.
Gabby Russell added another RBI single, and
Katelyn Eldredge scored on the same play after a throwing error from the outfield.
Chadron State must win at least three of its final four games, at home versus Black Hills State, next weekend in order to qualify for the RMAC tournament. BHSU is tied for last in the RMAC standings.
Two tournament berths are still up for grabs, and four teams, including CSC, are still eligible for two of them. All six teams at the bottom of the league are eligible yet for the eighth and final spot.
If CSC wins at least a majority of its Friday and Saturday, then its postseason chances hinge on results of other series around the league. The four teams preceding the Eagles in the standings, in descending order, are Regis University (12-19 RMAC), Adams State University (12-21 RMAC), CSUP, and FLC. Chadron State must gain a certain number of games - four, three, two, and one, respectively - in order to pass each of those conference rivals.
The Eagles would obtain the seventh seed in the RMAC Tournament by passing all four, and they would earn the eighth seed by passing three of four, provided New Mexico Highlands does not pass them up with a sweep in its pod series against the top two teams, Colorado Mesa and Colorado Christian.
All four teams CSC needs to get in front of are playing four game series against teams which have already clinched playoff spots. Regis is at MSU Denver, Adams State is at UCCS, CSU-Pueblo is at Colorado Mines, and Fort Lewis is at home versus Dixie State.
