LOCAL SPORTS
CSC ENDS SOFTBALL SEASON WITH THREE SUNDAY LOSSES
By CSC Sports Information
Apr 27, 2008 - 9:44:20 PM

The Metro State softball team cemented its place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference playoffs with a three-game sweep of Chadron State during games played Sunday at the CSC Softball Field.

The Roadrunners, who improved to 30-16 overall and 26-11 in the conference, won the first game 13-11 in eight innings, before earning a 6-1 victory in the second game. The Roadrunners completed the weekend sweep with a 10-1 win in the series’ finale.

Metro State’s season continues in the RMAC Playoffs, hosted by Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo., on Thursday. The Roadrunners are the No. 3 seed.

The Eagles, however, didn’t qualify for postseason play by ending the season with an overall record of 20-23-1 and a 14-23-1 mark in the RMAC. Although the Eagles didn’t earn a playoff berth, they won six more games than the 2007 squad and they will return all nine starters from this season.

During the first game, the Eagles owned a 7-3 lead heading into the top of the seventh inning, but Metro State got back into the game by drawing four walks. In addition to the free passes, two runners were placed on first base after being hit by a pitch and the Roadrunners reached safely after two CSC errors. By the end of the inning, the Roadrunners scored six runs on just two hits to have a 9-7 lead.

However, the Eagles didn’t go away and Blair McEndaffer, who hit a grand slam in the fourth inning, hit her second home run of the game – this time a two-run shot – to tie the game at 9-9.

But in the top of the eighth, Metro State came roaring back to score four runs. Once again the Roadrunners took advantage of CSC miscues as three players were put on base after coming in contact with the ball and the Eagles committed two errors. The only hit of the inning was Danni Hendstrom’s single to the pitcher to lead off the inning.

For the game, Metro State batters were hit by a pitch 10 times.

Trailing 13-9, the Eagles made things interesting as they scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth when Jamie Mazankowski’s single scored Jennica Seville and Katelyn Moore’s sacrifice fly plated Erica Colbert. But Metro State pitcher Libby Balogh, who faced 46 batters in the three-hour game, got the final CSC hitter to pop up to shortstop to win the game.

In the second game, Metro State owned a 2-1 lead after six innings but scored four insurance runs in the top of the seventh off of four doubles to put the game out of reach.

Colbert led CSC with a 2-for-2 performance from the plate, including the Eagles’ only RBI when her single plated Allison Hendricksen in the bottom of the sixth.

In the third game, Metro State jumped out to a 4-1 lead after three innings and didn’t look back en route to the 10-1 win. The Roadrunners put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth when Caitlyn Jenks and Molly Clark hit back-to-back solo home runs to left field.

Seville, who was 2-for-2 from the plate, scored CSC’s only run of the game when she hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second. Humphrey also had two hits for the Eagles.