By: Paxton Ritchie
CSC Sports Information Director
CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State got off to a perfect start at home, defeating New Mexico Highlands by scores of 4-1 and 11-9 to kick off a four-game series and their home schedule in Chadron on Sunday.
Belle Akins starred on the mound, earning a win and a save in two relief appearances, while J'lyssa Martinez and Aliyah Rothstein tallied multiple hits in both games.
The two wins lift Chadron State up to 6-4 overall and a 3-3 record in the RMAC. New Mexico Highlands fell to 6-10 and 0-6 in the RMAC.
In game one, Chadron State took the lead with a three-run third inning and made it stick for the rest of the game. With one out, CSC got four straight singles from J'lyssa Martinez, Lauren Zimmerman, Ashland Baca and Angelina Quezada, scoring two runs, before a two-out base hit from Sophia Brennan made it 3-0.
Tori Haug got the start on the mound for the Eagles and despite battling control issues, she was mostly unhittable. Haug walked nine batters but struck out seven and allowed just two hits over six innings while Chadron State played errorless defense in the first game.
New Mexico Highlands's only run of game one came after two walks on a one-out single by Vicky Alvarado, who advanced to second on the throw. With the tying run in scoring position, Haug coaxed a soft line drive to the shortstop Quezada, who alertly doubled the runner off third base to end the inning. Chadron State got the run back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Aliyah Rothstein.
Haug started the seventh and final inning, but after two walks gave way to the true freshman Akins. The Elkhorn native slammed the door, retiring the first three batters that she faced to seal the game one win.
In game two, Chadron State led 4-2 after four innings of play, but both offenses began to figure out each team's pitching staff in the late innings. New Mexico Highlands used back-to-back home runs to score three times, take a 5-4 lead and chase CSC starter Kenzi Garner, who threw 4.2 innings allowing six runs on eight hits, although just two of the runs were earned.
That scoring run would be the first of four consecutive half-innings where the lead changed hands. Chadron State answered with a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth, receiving an RBI single from Ashland Baca and a clutch three-run homer from Jazlyn Arvizo to give the Eagles an 8-6 lead.
Highlands responded to go up 9-8 in the top of the sixth, but the Eagles answered again, with Martinez and Zimmerman connecting for back-to-back RBI singles and Quezada driving home another run on a groundout to give the Eagles an 11-9 lead heading into the final inning.
Akins, who ended up pitching 2.1 innings of three-run relief in the nightcap, needed to work out of a jam as the Cowgirls hit three straight singles with one out to load the bases, but the freshman held her nerve, getting Heaven Medina to foul out and then striking out Cheyenne Ben looking to end the game.