Chadron State College softball split a pair of non-conference games against regional foes Western New Mexico University and Lubbock Christian University on Saturday at the TAJ Hospitality College Softball Kickoff, hosted by LCU.

The Eagles outlasted WNMU 15-11 in an offensive power struggle, while they succumbed to a third-inning outbreak against LCU in a game delayed by about two hours.

CSC true freshman Cassidy Horn went to 1-0 on the season in her debut in the Eagles’ game against WNMU. She entered in the second inning, threw five and two-thirds innings, scattering eight hits for five earned runs.

Meanwhile the Eagles offense pounded out 19 hits for 15 runs, getting home runs from Angelica Maples, Allie Mason, and Kayla Michel.

Mason’s three RBI homer in the fifth was the clincher for CSC. Maples’ leadoff solo shot earlier in the same inning tied the game at 10 apiece.

The Eagles waited patiently while their next opponent, host Lubbock Christian, won a 21-20 extra-innings showdown versus Southern Nazarene University.

In the late game, which started around 8 p.m. MT, CSC starter Gabby Russell gave up three first-inning runs, but the Eagles battled to tie in the top of the third.

The hometown Chaparrals, however, put the entire order up to the plate in the third inning. They got three base hits and five walks in a five-run inning which decided the game, putting themselves up 8-3.

Leilani Niccum’s solo homer in the fourth, followed by Haleigh Hoefs’ RBI double in the fifth, weren’t enough to make up the difference. LCU put across four more runs in the seventh inning to seal the win at a 12-5 margin.

CSC Senior Alyssa Geist batted 2-for-3 to lead the Eagles in the batter’s box against Lubbock Christian.

Hoefs, a true freshman, batted 4-of-7 with a walk on Saturday to lead Chadron State in the batter’s box. Michel, a senior, batted 4-of-8 with four RBI, and Mason, a junior, led the team with six RBI on 4-of-9 hitting.

Chadron State plays one more game this weekend, lining up at 11 a.m. MT on Sunday against Midwestern State University in Lubbock.