ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Despite going 0-2 against Eckerd College, the Chadron State College softball showed improvement during the half way point of their Florida trip in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Wednesday.
 
CSC fell 7-1 in game one and was defeated 5-2 in the second game of the double header.
 
In game one, the Tritons struck early in the bottom of the first with a leadoff double. After a sacrifice bunt that advanced the runner to third, a single to center field scored the first run of the game. The Chadron State defense responded by forcing two outs with the bases loaded to end the threat.
 
It didn't take long for the Eagles to add a run. In the top of the second inning with two outs, Jessie Henchenski, a senior from Fort Collins, Colorado, snuck a ball over the center field fence to tie the game at one a piece.
 
Henchenski's solo homer was the Eagles only run of the game. Offensively, CSC recorded four hits and left five runners on base over the remaining five innings.
 
Eckerd scored one run in the bottom of the third inning off of a CSC error before scoring five more in the fifth inning. In the fifth, the hosts manufactured a two-out rally. The Tritons hit three singles that drove in their remaining five funs.
 
CSC's starting pitcher, Kenzi Garner, was relieved by Tori Haug in the inning. Garner, a junior from Broomfield, Colorado, received the loss in her first start of the season.
 
In 4.2 innings of work, she allowed seven hits and runs, all being earned, while striking out three batters and walking two. Haug, a senior from Commerce City, Colorado, allowed two hits with no runs in 1.1 innings of work. She struck out and walked one batter each.
 
The Eagles finished game one with five hits and one error.
 
In game two, the Tritons led 4-0 entering the fourth inning after scoring two runs in the second and third inning.
 
Chadron State slowly started chipping away at its opponents lead in the top of the fourth. Mackenzi Kroll began the inning with a single to right field. Henchenski then hit a grounder to shortstop but a fielding error allowed her to reach first and for pinch runner Jolynn Niegocki to reach second.
 
After a fielder's choice that recorded Henchenski out but advanced Niegocki to third, Sophie Brennan, a freshman from Wahoo, Nebraska, receiver her first career at bat. The Yutan-Mead High School graduate did exactly what she was asked to do, hitting a deep RBI sacrifice fly to right field that scored Niegocki.
 
The Eagles added another run in the top of the fifth inning to lower their deficit to 4-2. J'Lyssa Martinez drew a walk as the lead off hitter and advanced to second on a fielder's choice.
 
The Eckerd defense got CSC's next batter out at first but Martinez was able to advance to third. Ashland Baca, a senior from Pueblo West, Colorado, hit a two out single up the middle, bringing Martinez home.
 
Eckerd responded by hitting a two out single in the top of the fifth that brought their fifth run of the game home.
 
CSC had a base runner in both the sixth and seventh innings but were unable to get a run across, falling 5-2.
 
Brooklyn Levin, a freshman from Littleton, Colorado, received the loss to drop to 0-3. The true freshman pitched all six innings and responded to adversity multiple times, allowing eight hits and five runs, four being earned. She struck out five and didn't walk a single batter.
 
The Eagles play in Florida resumes on Friday, February 9, at the Florida Tech Tournament in Longwood. CSC will play Barry University and Bentley University on Friday, before playing host Florida Tech and Saint Anselm College on Saturday.