DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The Chadron State College softball teams season began with two losses on Sunday in Daytona Beach, Florida, one to #23 Columbus State University and another to host, Embry-Riddle University.
 
The Eagles fell 11-5 against Columbus State in the season opener, before being defeated by Embry-Riddle, 11-3.
 
In the teams first game, the Cougars took an early 7-0 lead over CSC in the fourth inning. Scoring began when Brooke Miller, a University of North Carolina transfer, hit her first homerun of the day, scoring three runs in the top of the third.
 
Columbus State added four more runs in the top of the fourth inning. The rally began when a double to center field scored one run and advanced a runner to third.
 
The following batter grounded out to second base but both runners advanced, giving the Cougars a 5-0 lead.
 
Miller quickly added more runs for CSC's opponent with a two-run homer. Chadron State's starting pitcher, Tori Haug, was relieved after Millers second homer by Kenzi Garner, who recorded the third out of the inning.
 
Chadron State recorded its first hit and first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. With Jaelyn Martinez on second base and Jessie Henchenski on first, Mackenzi Kroll, a senior from Brighton, Colorado, launched her first homer of the season to make the score 7-3.
 
The Cougars added one more run in the sixth inning and two in the seventh. Miller added her sixth RBI of the game with an RBI single to make the score 11-3.
 
Chadron State had a brief rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. Brady Laucomer, a sophomore from Scottsbluff, Nebraska hit an RBI double with one out, scoring pinch runner Jolynn Niegocki.
 
CSC's next batter, J'lyssa Martinez, singled up the middle, advancing Laucomer to third and Angelina Quezada home.
 
Columbus State's pitcher, Haylee Folds, forced the Eagle's next two batters to fly out to end the game. Folds, who improves to 2-1 on the season in the complete game victory, allowed seven hits and five runs, all earned. The senior walked two batters and struck out seven.
 
Haug, a senior from Commerce City, Colorado, received the loss for Chadron State. In 3.2 innings, she allowed seven hits and seven runs, three being earned. Garner also allowed seven hits in 3.1 innings. The duo combined for five strikeouts and five walks.
 
In Sunday's second game against the Embry-Riddle Eagles, Henchenski, a senior from Fort Collins, Colorado, began the scoring with a RBI single in the top of the first.
 
J'Lyssa Martinez, a junior from Denver and CSC's leadoff hitter, singled to right field to begin the game. Aliyah Rothstein, a junior from Lakewood, Colorado, used a bunt to advance Martinez to second and was ruled safe at first.
 
After a Lauren Zimmerman fielders' choice due to Martinez being thrown out at third, her pinch runner Jaelyn Martinez and Rothstein both advanced a base due to a wild pitch.
 
Another fielder's choice by Embry-Riddles defense allowed Ashland Baca to advance to first but recorded an out at home on Rothstein. With two outs, Henchenski hit a liner to right field that scored Jaelyn Martinez, a sophomore from Aurora, Colorado.
 
The hosts quickly gained a lead in the bottom of the inning when they scored three runs and improved their lead to 5-1.
 
Scoring was halted until Henchenski hit a ball to the fence in left center and rounded all the bases for an inside the park homerun, lowering CSC's deficit to 5-2.
 
Embry-Riddle used a triple and a one out groundout to first to extend their lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
In the top of the sixth inning, Kroll hit an RBI double to left center that scored Henchenski from first for CSC's final run of the game.
 
After an hour and 15-minute lighting delay, play was resumed at 7:00 p.m. MT. Embry-Riddle resumed play with a runner on first and zero outs. The hosts managed to score 3 runs in the inning to win 11-3.
 
Chadron State has eight more games while in Florida. They will play double headers at Flagler College on Tuesday and Eckerd College on Wednesday before playing four total games in Longwood, Florida on Friday and Saturday.