Chadron State College freshman Haleigh Hoefs hit a double, a home run, and a sacrifice fly Saturday in Pueblo for four of the Eagles’ seven runs, as Colorado School of Mines defeated CSC 7-3 in the morning game and CSC downed Adams State University 4-3 in the late game. The games were hosted by CSC on the campus of Colorado State University-Pueblo in order to ensure they would be played after a blizzard rocked Chadron Wednesday and Thursday.
Despite only allowing five hits in seven innings against Mines, pitchers Megan and Cassidy Horngave up 15 walks against Mines.
Freshman Bailey Marvel scored two of the Eagles’ three runs. CSC went up 1-0 in the first when Marvel walked and Hoefs’ first RBI of the day drove her in.
The Orediggers capitalized in the second and fifth innings. In the top of the second, four Mines batters walked, and three of those were able to cross home plate. A CSC error kept Mines alive, and CSM senior Kara Jones hit a double to bring in three runs, all unearned, to put Mines up 4-1. In the fifth, the CSC pitchers added four more walks and the Orediggers added two hits for three more runs.
The Eagles’ only other runs came in the third, off Hoefs’ homer, which also brought in Marvel who led off with a double. Then Sydney Marchando, who pitched a complete game win for Mines, blanked the home team for the last three innings, scattering two hits.
CSC played Adams State later in the afternoon following a neutral site meeting between Adams and Mines. In the final contest of the day, CSC jumped up 4-1 on ASU in the fifth, before the Grizzlies’ comeback bid failed in the seventh with Eagles’ pitcher Dallas Magnusson going the distance in the circle for her first win to get to 1-3 on the season.
Magnusson fanned six Grizzlies batters while walking only two, holding them under .300 in the batter’s box.
Marvel scored her third run of the day when she walked and was singled home by senior Kayla Michel in the first for the 1-0 lead.
Adams State answered with a solo home run in the top of the second, and things remained tied 1-1 while both teams went hitless for two entire innings.
In the fourth, CSC’s Bailey Rominger doubled, and Leilani Niccum singled her home for the go-ahead run. Marvel recorded her third walk and fourth base on balls in the fifth inning before the Hoefs sac fly. On the next at-bat, Michel brought in Alyssa Geist, who reached on an error, for a 4-1 lead.
Three singles and one walk produced a single run for the Grizzlies in the sixth, and ASU added another run in the seventh after a walk, a steal, a wild pitch, and a single got a runner around the diamond. Magnusson then ended the game on an infield fly to shortstop Marvel.
In the two games combined, Rominger and Michel each went 3-for-6 in the box to lead the Eagles.
Another three games are to be played beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday, with the Grizzlies returning to the diamond to meet the Eagles again in the day’s opener.