CHADRON, Neb. – May 1, 2021 – The Chadron State College softball team suffered a tough pair of losses on Saturday, as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series with Colorado Mesa University drew to a conclusion. The Mavericks held the Eagles scoreless for 12 straight innings, winning 7-0 and 10-0 at CSC Softball Field.
Sophomore pitcher Ellie Smith (12-0) and junior Paige Adair (17-1) were both winners of the two shutouts. Smith gave up her first base hit with two out in the seventh inning of game three, which began in the morning. Adair allowed only three hits in three innings, before sophomore reliever Shea Mauser threw two more innings without a hit, combining for the second shutout.
Junior
Gabby Russell (4-5) and freshman
Caitlin Lotspeich (0-2) received the losses for CSC.
Game three went seven full innings, and Mesa built its lead gradually. Two runs crossed in each of the first two innings, helped in part by a CSC error in each frame. The Mavericks received three walks in the fourth, and an RBI single by senior first baseman Sarah Staudle made it 5-0. The final two runs came in the seventh, on a home run by Smith.
CMU took much less time amassing its runs in game four, scoring all 10 in the first three innings. It needed a hit batter, a walk, and a pair of singles to put up its first two runs in the first inning, and freshman third baseman Nicole Christensen got her team up 3-0 by stealing home, during an attempted rundown of Staudle at second. The remaining seven runs crossed in the third. Three batters in that inning were walked, and two were hit by a pitch, to go with five base hits. The highlight of the inning was a three-run homer by sophomore shortstop Ashley Bradford.
Staudle led her team for the day batting 4-for-6 with five RBI and one run scored.
On the CSC ledger, sophomore shortstop
Bailey Marvel batted 2-for-5, while freshman right fielder
Paige Propp and senior center fielder
Ellie Owens each had one base hit. Owens broke up the no-hitter in game three. Senior catcher
Bailey Rominger also reached base on the only walk allowed by Mesa, and she also caught a stolen base attempt at second.
Seniors Owens, Rominger, and left fielder
Angelica Maples were honored between games on Saturday.
Chadron State plays one final series on Friday and Saturday, when the Regis University Rangers visit Chadron.
