BY: JOHN MURPHY
CSC Sports Information Director
After ending a 22-game losing streak Thursday, the Chadron State College softball team split their doubleheader with Colorado Mesa on Friday, giving the Eagles a 3-1 series victory over the Mavericks.
CSC improves to 11-20 overall and 9-15 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play on the season. CMU is now 20-11 and 18-5 in the RMAC.
The Mavericks lone victory of the series came in game one Friday, where they defeated Chadron State 5-2.
Scoring started in the top of the fourth for Colorado Mesa after Rylee Crouch hit her third homerun of the series. Crouch, who now leads the NCAA in homeruns, hit one in each of the four games.
A Lauren Zimmerman single in the bottom of the inning scored Jaelyn Martinez-Lewis and J'lyssa Martinez, giving CSC a 2-1 lead.
The Eagles only lead of the game didn't last long. Iliana Mendoza was walked in the top of the fifth inning with the bases loaded, scoring Myah Arrieta.
The Mavericks added two more runs in the top of the sixth after two passed balls by the CSC defense.
The first occurred with the bases loaded, scoring Dakota DiPaola. The second scored Arrieta for the Mavericks.
Colorado Mesa would add one more run in the top of the seventh inning on a solo homerun by Ava Fugate.
Bailey Steinke singled to left center with two outs in the bottom of the seventh but Chadron State was unable to add any more runs, losing 5-2.
Tori Haug received the loss for CSC, pitching 5.2 innings. The junior from Commerce City, Colorado, allowed four hits and struck out two batters. She allowed nine walks, a season high.
Hannah Sattler received the win for the Mavericks.
Chadron State built a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning in game two.
Zimmerman, a sophomore from Reno, Nevada, hit her second 2 RBI double of the day, this time scoring Bailey Steinke and Martinez-Lewis.
Zimmerman finished the day with a batting average of 1.000 and had four RBI's.
Aliyah Rothstein advanced to third on the Zimmerman double, before scoring CSC's third run on a passed ball by the Mavericks.
The Mavericks lowered their deficit to one in the top of the fifth inning. Bradford and Crouch hit back to back solo homeruns, making the score 3-2.
Chadron State managed to add another run in the bottom of the inning as Kenzi Garner singled to right field, scoring Bailey Steinke.
Starting pitcher Delaney Farnsworth struck out two batters in the top of the sixth inning and forced three flyouts in the top of the seventh, giving CSC the 4-2 victory.
Farnsworth struck out five batters and walked four, while allowing eight hits in the complete game victory. The Mavericks left 12 runners on base.
The freshman from Centennial, Colorado, is 8-8 this season.
Sarah Jorissen, the starting pitcher for the Mavericks, fell to 1-2 on the season after allowing three of the runs, two being earned. Jorissen left the game due to injury and was replaced by Marisa Nehm in the fourth inning.
Chadron State is back in action on April 1 and 2 in Las Vegas, New Mexico when New Mexico Highlands plays host to the Eagles.