LAS VEGAS – The Chadron State College softball team got its offense going in the seventh inning but the Eagles’ rally fell short against Western Oregon in the finale of the Desert Stinger Tournament Sunday in Las Vegas. Chadron State went 1-4 at the Desert Stinger but they were competitive in every game.
In Sunday’s game, Western Oregon was up 4-0 in the final inning when the Eagles cut the margin in half when Sarah Knudsen followed a sharply-hit infield single to short by Amy Schartz with a 2-run homer over the right field fence.
The Wolves got the first out of the inning on a fly ball to right, but Rebecca Wetsch then hit her second home run of the weekend, this one a towering shot over center field. That would be as close as the Eagles got as pitcher Jordan Williams settled in and got the final two batters to end the Eagles’ comeback.
Williams, who entered Sunday’s game 0-3, allowed just four hits in the game. Nikki Ritzen added the Eagles’ other two hits, both singles. Western Oregon improves to 2-6, while Chadron State falls to 1-4.
The Eagles had strong numbers at the Desert Stinger, hitting .312 as a team compared to .286 for their opponents. They were outscored by just 3 runs…26-23…and CSC pitchers struck out 27 batters.The Eagles are now off for two weeks until they open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action with a pair of doubleheaders at Colorado State University-Pueblo on the 22nd and 23rd.