CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State took two first-inning leads and battled back from five and four-run deficits in the nightcap, but ultimately fell to a strong nationally-ranked Colorado Christian team by scores of 15-3 and 10-9 in the first two games out of four between the two programs.
The Eagles (4-27, 4-18 RMAC) brought the tying run to the plate in game two after scoring three runs with two outs in the seventh inning, but ultimately could not snap the long winning streak of the No. 14-ranked Cougars (32-2, 22-0 RMAC), which now sits at 28 games.
Brogan Allen hit a two-run home run in both games,
Elizabeth Thorngren drove home four runs in game two alone and
McKenna Sides set the stage for the near-rally by pitching three innings of relief and allowing just two earned runs in the second game.
After similarly playing second-place MSU Denver tight last weekend, when the Eagles lost three of four but were outscored by only three runs, the Eagles put up one of the stiffest challenges the league-leading Cougars have faced in some time.
The nine runs put up by Chadron State in game two are the most scored against CCU pitching in 26 games (since February 6), and it is only CCU's second one-run victory out of their 22 RMAC wins.
The Eagles were competitive in game one, as well, before it got out of hand late. Chadron State took an early lead as
Charley Pitrat walked to lead off the bottom of the first and scored on a two-run bomb by Allen. The Eagles led 2-1 after two innings and trailed 6-2 after five innings before the Cougars scored three in the sixth and six in the seventh to help stretch the score to the 15-3 final margin. Felesha LePenske threw a complete game, allowing five hits, and improved to 12-0 in the circle.
In game two, Chadron State found itself trailing 1-0 after the top of the first but responded to take the lead in the bottom half. With one out,
Macie Selfors used her speed to leg out a perfectly-placed bloop triple that dropped in no-man's land and bounded away from the Colorado Christian fielders.
Elizabeth Thorngren singled through the left side to score Selfors and Allen followed with another single to move Thorngren to third.
Tiffani Mein hit a comebacker that deflected off the pitcher to the shortstop, and while CCU recovered for a putout at first, that drove home Thorngren to give CSC a 2-1 lead.
CCU's league-best offense (averaging 8.9 runs per game after today) went to work with a run in the third and five in the fourth to give the visitors a 7-2 lead. But the Eagles battled back to within a run with a four-run bottom of the fifth inning.
A hit by pitch and a walk put
Payton Sullivan and
Izzy Thomas on base to lead off the inning. Chadron State manufactured one run, as Katelynn Czerpark sacrifice bunted the runners into scoring position and
Charley Pitrat brought home one with a sacrifice fly.
Then, the big hits that have eluded Chadron State at times this season finally started to come.
Macie Selfors singled up the middle, one of her three hits in game two, to advance Thomas to third and put two runners on for Thorngren. With two strikes, the senior smacked her second home run of the season to left, bringing the Eagles within a run at 7-6.
While Colorado Christian had an answer, soon taking a 10-6 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles pulled close to the defending league champs again. The Cougars nearly got out of the inning unscathed, but a CCU two-out throwing error on a Thorngren grounder extended the game and scored Czerpak from third.
Allen wasted no time taking advantage of the extra out, sending a first-pitch bomb to left-center for her second home run of the day and third of the season, and suddenly the Eagles were within a run again at 10-9. Cougars reliever Hanna Espinoza held her nerve, however, getting the next Eagle batter to pop out on the first pitch.
Brynn Trujillo (7 IP, 16 H, 13 ER) and
Belle Akins (4 IP, 13 H, 7 ER) each took losses in the circle for Chadron State.
McKenna Sides had one of her better outings in an Eagle uniform as the freshman from Seward, Nebraska scattered five hits and two earned runs across three innings. Sides pitched to contact as she finished with both no walks and no strikeouts.
The two teams will finish up their series tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Chadron State is still looking for its first win against CCU since the 2017 RMAC Tournament.
