CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State mounted late-inning rallies twice but came up short twice in 3-2 and 4-2 losses to Colorado School of Mines as the two programs began a four-game series at the CSC Softball Field on Saturday. 

The Eagles (4-35, 4-26 RMAC) had the tying run thrown out at the plate to end game one, then rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to tie the score at 2-2 before the Orediggers (19-24, 13-17 RMAC) tacked on single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to emerge with a two-run win in the nightcap. 

The results added to CSC's tally of close losses this conference season. With another one-run and two-run defeat apiece, Chadron State has now lost six consecutive games and 14 total RMAC games by either one or two runs. 

Both programs enjoyed strong pitching throughout Saturday's action. The doubleheader did not see a single relief pitcher with all four starters throwing complete games across both contests.

Colorado School of Mines game one starter Rylee Church, who lowered her ERA to 3.27 after Saturday's game, kept the Eagles off balance by being effectively wild. Church struggled with her control, walking seven batters, but struck out six and held the Eagles hitless through six innings. 

The Orediggers led 3-0 after a trio of RBI singles in the third, fourth and seventh innings, but the Eagles chipped away at an improbable comeback in their final at-bat. 

Tiffani Mein drew a leadoff walk in the seventh. The next two Eagle batters were retired but managed to move pinch-runner Lani Davis over to second base. Charley Pitrat extended the game with an eight-pitch walk before the Orediggers infield dropped a pop fly that allowed Macie Selfors to reach and Davis to come around and score CSC's first run. 

The next batter, Elizabeth Thorngren, lined a deep drive to the opposite field that got over the head of the Mines right fielder. Pitrat scored CSC's second run, but Mines made a perfect relay from right field to second base to catcher to throw out Selfors at the plate for the game's final out. The Eagles had gone from being no-hit to being within inches of tying the game in the span of seconds, only for the Orediggers to escape with a one-run victory. 

Chadron State's bats woke up far earlier in the second game, with Brogan Allen doubling to lead off the second inning and Amber Boland and Thorngren tallying leadoff hits in the third and fourth innings, but CSC was unable to push a run home. 
The Eagles scored their two runs in the fifth inning when a two-out throwing error by the Mines pitcher scored Tiffani Mein before Amber Boland came home to score on a subsequent wild pitch. 

The Orediggers came through with a two-out RBI single in the sixth to take the field, although the Eagles mitigated the damage by throwing out the runner trying to take second. In the seventh, the Orediggers scored in a similar manner, tallying a two-out single and stealing second before that runner came around to score on another base knock. 

Sophomore Belle Akins and freshman McKenna Sides each threw valiantly in the circle for the Eagles, scattering hits effectively. In game one, Akins struck out five while pitching seven innings of three-run ball. In game two, Sides allowed 10 hits but only two earned hits, only allowed one walk and struck out two, just her second career outing with multiple punchouts. 

The two teams will meet again for two more games on Sunday, with first pitch for game one scheduled for 11 a.m.