CHADRON, Neb. -- The Chadron State College softball team split its double header for the second day in a row against the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs Mountain Lions, winning game one 2-0 before falling 6-0 in game two, Saturday.
 
The Eagles hit two consecutive solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning in game ones 2-0 victory.
 
Before the fourth inning, CSC had three total hits, recording one in each inning. The Mountain Lions had only one hit.
 
CSC's leadoff batter in the inning, Ashland Baca, swung on the first pitch she saw for a solo homer to left center. The Eagles next batter, Lauren Zimmerman, a junior from Reno, Nevada, doubled that effort with a solo home run to center field, giving CSC a 2-0 lead.
 
The Mountain Lions posed a serious threat in the top of the fifth inning when they loaded the bases with no outs. Starting pitcher Tori Haug forced a fly out, a ground out and struck out a batter to get out of the situation.
 
In the next inning, UCCS once again left the bases loaded. The guests had one more base runner in the game. After a leadoff single and a fielder's choice by the CSC defense, Zimmerman and Baca, a senior from Pueblo West, Colorado, connected for a double play to put the exclamation point on the Eagle's game one victory.
 
Haug, a senior from Commerce City, Colorado, improved to 3-5 overall with her shutout victory. She allowed five hits while tying her season high of seven strikeouts.
 
Game two was the Mountain Lions turn to pitch a shutout, defeating CSC 6-0.
 
UCCS gained an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a 2 RBI double.
 
After the next nine batters were all retired, the Mountain Lions added one more run in the top of the third inning with another RBI double. With runners on first and second,  Kenzi Garner was relieved by Brooklyn Levin, who forced a fielders choice and a strikeout to retire the side.
For the third time in the game, a double scored runs for the guests, this time in the top of the fifth inning. The Mountain Lions started the inning with a double to center field before the next batter had the RBI double.
 
Chadron State threatened the guests 4-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when they loaded the bases. After Jessie Henchenski and Baca were both hit by pitches and Zimmerman was walked, the Mountain Lion defense forced a line out to eliminate CSC's threat.
 
UCCS extended their lead to 6-0 in the top of the seventh inning. An error by the Chadron State defense allowed one run and a single scored a runner from second.
 
Garner received the loss in 2.1 innings of work for the Eagles. As a team, CSC had three hits and two errors compared to its opponents nine hits and zero errors.
 
The Eagles have another home series on March 9 and 10 when they host MSU-Denver. Saturday's games beging at 12 and 2 p.m., while Sunday's will start at 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. 

Black Hills edges Eagles in overtime

CHADRON, Neb. -- The Chadron State Eagles played some of their best basketball of the season Saturday night, leading all the way after breaking an 8-8 deadlock until Black Hills State tied the score at 76-76 on a layup with 16 seconds remaining. That sent the regular-season finale into overtime, when the Yellow Jackets outscored their visitors 18-7 to win 94-83.
             
Despite the disappointing outcome, apparently there's still some positive news for the Eagles and their fans.  While the official word had not been received when this story was written, it's anticipated that Coach Shane Paben's team with its 9-13 conference mark has qualified for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference playoffs as the No. 8 seed. 
             
If so, that means the Eagles will be in the first round of the playoffs at Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction on Tuesday, March 5.  The Mavericks claimed the RMAC regular-season title Saturday night when they improved their conference record to 21-1 by defeating Western Colorado 74-55 while Colorado School of Mines handed Fort Lewis its second conference loss by a 70-65 score.
             
The way the game in Spearfish turn out was painful for the Eagles.  They got off to a great start, knocking down their first six 3-point shots while building a 32-16 lead midway through the first half. 
             
The Yellow Jackets served notice they are potent by scoring the final eight points of the first half to draw within 45-40 at intermission.  But the Eagles maintained the lead through the next 19 minutes and 44 seconds, or until Caelin Hearne's layup tied the score.
             
Chadron State's biggest margin of the second half was 10 points—69-59—with 6:45remaining.  The visitors still led 76-69 with 2:39 left after making one of two free throws.  Nearly a minute passed before Black Hills cut the lead to five with two free shots.
             
But after the Eagles committed one of their just five turnovers, the roof started to cave in when Yellow Jackets' star, Matt Ragsdale nailed a 3-pointer to make it 76-74 with 69 seconds left on the clock.  Chadron State knew it needed to score again, but missed a jumper, got the rebound, but also could not make the putback.  The hosts' Hoku Fisher got the second rebound.
             
There was still 33 seconds left on the clock.  While it was anticipated that Ragsdale, who had already scored 32 points, would get the ball, it was Hearne, who had made just two of 11 shots while playing nearly 30 minutes, who took the ball to the hoop to knot the score 76-76.  
             
There were still 16 seconds left for the Eagles to win the game, but a last-second jumper did not connect and it was overtime.
             
Both teams missed a 3-point shot and a contested layup to open the extra session, but Ragsdale finally connected from in the paint to break the ice with 3:37 still showing.
             
When it rains it pours and the Yellow Jackets wound up making three more field goals, two of them treys by Fisher and Herne, before sinking all of eight of their free throws in the final 41 seconds.  The Eagles did not score in overtime until just 1:17remained.
             
Ragsdale, a fifth-year senior and the RMAC's scoring leader for the season with a 22-point average, finished with 36 points. He was 15 of 26 from the field, including 5-of-10 from long range. Fisher contributed 16 points and Hearne 13. All three are 6-foot-4.
             
Four Eagles reached double-figures, led by 6-7 senior center Porter Anderson with 17 points on 7-of-8 from the field.  Guard Bryce Latimer and 6-9 John Jenkins each scored 16 and Josh Robinson 13. Alternate guards Jarrett Anderson and Jalen Patterson added nine and eight, respectively. 
             
Black Hills is 16-12 for the season and its 14-8 conference record is good enough to make it one of the four teams to host a first-round playoff tilt. CSC finishes the regular season with a 12-16 record,
             
When Mesa visited Chadron on Jan. 12, the Eagles' Jarrett Taylor nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the score at 85 and send it into overtime. The Mavericks eventually won 102-9, but CSC had played the conference champs even-Steven for 40 minutes, just like it did against Black Hills on Saturday.      
             
Chadron State—Porter Anderson 17, Bryce Latimer 16, John Jenkins 16, Josh Robinson 13, Jarrett Taylor 9, Jalen Patterson 8, Martin Poznanovic 4. Totals: 34-84 (8-19) 7-10 83 points, 45 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 10 assists.
             
Black Hills State—Matt Ragsdale 36, Hoku Fisher 16, Caelin Herne 13, Myles Johnson 8, Ronnall Tape 7, Deegan Williams 6, John Shanklin 4, Joel Speckman 4, Totals: 32-67 (9-29) 21-23 94 points, 42 rebounds, 4 turnovers 9 assists.
             
Chadron State                         45          31         7                ----83
             
Black Hills State                       40         36       18                ----94
             
3-pointers: CSC—Taylor 3, Latimer 2, Patterson 2, Jenkins 1. BHSU—Ragsdale 5, Fisher 2, Herne 1, Tape 1.

CSC women’s team drops final game

SPEARFISH, S.D. -- The Chadron State College women's basketball team got off to a good start during its final game of the season Saturday evening at Black Hills State in Spearfish, making five of nine field goal shots, including a trio of 3-pointers, to take a 14-11 first quarter lead.

             
But the Eagles managed just four points in the second period and trailed 24-18 at halftime.  They also were outscored 37-23 in the second half and fell to the Yellow Jackets 61-41. 

             
Chadron State made just 14 of 48 field goal attempts for 29.2% for the game and added just one more shot from behind the arc after the opening quarter.  Black Hills was 22 of 58 from the field for 37.9%.  The hosts got 10 more field goal shots, largely because they had just 16 turnovers, nine fewer than the Eagles.

             
Kalla Bertram, a 5-9 junior from Winner, S.D., led Black Hills with 19 points while 6-foot grad student Ellie Moore added 10.  Bertram had tallied 27 points Friday night when the Yellow Jackets defeated Colorado Christian 73-68. 

             
Sophomore guard Liberty Line led the Eagles with 10 points, one more than junior forward Shay Powers, who was CSC's leading rebounder with eight.  Both Olivia Waufle and Awoti Akoi, the only senior on this year's CSC team, added six points.

             
The Eagles finish the season 6-21 and 4-18 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Yellow Jackets conclude the regular season at 17-9 and 14-8 in the RMAC. They have qualified for the conference playoffs this coming week.  

Campbell and Leake qualify for NCAA Championships

PUEBLO, Colo. -- Quen Campbell was the regional champion at 133 pounds for the second consecutive season and Ethan Leake placed second at 141 pounds, qualifying for the NCAA Championships after competing at the NCAA DII Super Regional VI Tournament in Pueblo, Colorado on Saturday.
 
As always at regional tournaments, some experience success but many individuals experience heartbreak. Chadron State had its fair share of both sides on Saturday.
 
Every CSC wrestler who competed found a spot on the podium, leading Chadron State to a second-place finish in the team standings with 109.5 points, setting a new program high at the regional tournament for placing. Nebraska-Kearney was first with 143.5 points.
 
For the second consecutive year, Quen Campbell went undefeated on way to winning the region championship.
 
Campbell, a senior from Tifton, Georgia, started his day with two tech falls on way to finishing 4-0. In round one, he was victorious over Tyler Hamm from CSU-Pueblo, winning 22-6 in 3:43. Julius Kohn from New Mexico Highlands received a bye before losing 18-3 in 7:00 minutes to Campbell in the quarterfinals.
 
In the semifinals, #2 Campbell only needed 1:08 before pinning Patrick Allis of Western Colorado and guaranteeing himself a trip to the NCAA Championships.
 
The job was finished thought as Campbell still had a matchup with Oran Huff of Colorado Mesa in the regional championship. After no scoring in the first period, Huff earned a escape after he chose bottom. Once neutral, Campbel ended the period with a takedown and two nearfall points. The region champion added six more takedown points and one escape point to win 13-2.
 
After qualifying in 2022 but finishing fourth in 2023, Ethan Leake booked himself a ticket to the NCAA Championships with a second-place finish at 141 pounds.
 
Leake, a graduate student from Clovis, California, started his day with a bye in round one. In the quarterfinals, he earned a pin in 3:54 over Jacob McCarley of Western Colorado.
 
A matchup against #12 Angel Flores of Adams State was waiting for #11 Leake in the semifinals. With four seconds left in the third period, Flores scored an escape to force overtime. Scoring was halted in overtime until Leake scored a late escape with 10 seconds left to earn the SV-1 7-4 victory.
 
Even though he is still qualifying for nationals, heartbreak occurred for Leake against Nick James of Nebraska Kearney in the championship match. After 1:15 in the first period, Leake was unable to continue the match due to injury, placing him second.
 
A total of four Eagles wrestled in third place matches, often known as the heartbreak round. If you win, you earn yourself a trip to the NCAA Championships. If you lose, your season is over. All four of the Eagles were on the lesser end of the situation.
 
At 125 pounds, Quade Smith suffered an 8-4 decision to Dayson Torgerson of Colorado Mesa to finish in fourth place.
 
#10 Smith, a junior from Layton, Utah, received a first round by before having a 3-1 decision over Christian Lopez of Colorado School of Mines in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Smith suffered a defeat to #9 Isaiah Gamez, who pinned him in 6:00.
 
In the consolation semis, Smith pinned Rhys Sellers of New Mexico Highlands in 4:50 before falling to Torgerson.
 
Torry Early, a senior from Oak Park, Illinois, was the second CSC wrestler to finish in fourth place.
 
At 149 pounds, Early defeated John Burger of Nebraska Kearney in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 decision. #12 Cody Thompson of Colorado School of Mines handed Early his first loss of the day, defeating him 7-3 in the semifinals.
 
Early needed extra time but was victorious in the consolation semifinals with a SV-1 4-1 victory over Juan Garcia of Colorado Mesa. The victory earned him another matchup against Burger for a trip to nationals on the line.
 
In the third-place match, Early was trailing 5-2 in the third period when refs ruled him for "intentional misconduct", disqualifying Early from the match.
 
After wrestling at 174 pounds all season, Logan Berger successfully dropped to 164 pounds in preparation for the regional tournament.
 
Berger, a sophomore from Hartsville, South Carolina, defeated Kaden Hart of Nebraska-Kearney with an 8-5 decision in round one. In the quarterfinals, Tristin David of Colorado School of Mines was victorious with a 13-6 decision over Berger.
 
In his first consolation match, Tanner Baumgartner suffered an 8-15 defeat to Berger. The South Carolina native booked his ticket to the heartbreak round with a 12-5 decision over Walker Heckendorf of Western Colorado.
 
Like Early, Berger had to have a rematch with an opponent from Nebraska-Kearney that he previously defeated. This time, Hart earned a 17-2 tech fall in 5:47 over Berger to end his season.
 
Despite joining the team a few short weeks ago, Reese Jacobs advanced to the third-place match at 197 pounds.
 
Jacobs, a freshman from Sturgis, South Dakota, was a 3X state champion in high school and recorded 22 tackles for Chadron State football this year.
 
His day on Saturday began with a first round bye, giving him a matchup with Gabe Carranza of Colorado Mesa in the quarterfinals. Jacobs suffered a 12-4 major decision in the match, sending him to the consolation bracket.
 
Jacobs defeated Sage Harrison of Western Colorado with a 12-4 major decision before pinning Ryan Cody of Colorado School of Mines in 1:35 to advance to the third-place match. Jacobs faced another bout with Carranza in the match, in which Carranza won 11-4.
 
Hunter Gilmore and Mason Watt both placed fifth at 157 and 285 pounds, respectively.
 
Gilmore, a redshirt sophomore from Arlington, Nebraska, earned an 8-1 decision over Nicholas Stoltenberg of Nebraska-Kearney in round one. In the quarterfinals, Gilmore was defeated 6-3 by Jakob Smith of Colorado School of Mines.

After receiving a bye in the consolation bracket, Gilmore earned an 18-0 tech fall in 6:36 against Hunter Harris of Fort Hays State. In the consolation semifinals, Gilmore suffered a 16-2 major decision to Basil Othman of San Francisco State, ending his chances of qualifying for the national tournament.
In his fifth-place match, Gilmore was defeated by Nico Carrasco of Adamas State, 10-7.
 
#6 Watt, a graduate student from Broomfield, Colroado, began his day with a pin in 2:04 over Jayden Johnson of New Mexico Highlands. In the quarterfinals, Laith Ibrahim of Colorado School of Mines scored a first period takedown to take a 3-0 lead. Watt escapted with :07 seconds left in the first period.
 
Trailing 3-1, Watt began the second period on bottom and was able to make the score 3-2 with another escape. A second stalling warning on Ibrahim with :50 seconds left in the third period tied the match at three and forced overtime.
 
With 13 seconds left in the overtime period, Ibrahim scored a takedown to win 6-3.
 
Watt won his first consolation match with a fall in 2:56 over Henry Sturn of CSU-Pueblo. The returning national qualifier immediately scored another pin in 1:14 over Anthony Caldwell of Fort Hays to keep his chances of returning alive.
 
A matchup against Taniela Feliciano-Takaf of Simon Fraser was next for Watt. Trailing 4-3 in the third perioud, Watt suffered an injury that forced him to discontinue the match.
 
The Eagles last wrestler in action was Keegan Gehlhausen at 184 pounds. Gehlhausen, a sophomore from Pinedale, Wyoming, finished the tournament in fifth place.
 
After a first round bye, Gehlhausen was defeated 12-4 by Mason Diel of Colorado School of Mines.
 
Gehlhausen began his journey in the consolation bracket with a pin in 3:14 over Matthew Rodriguez of Fort Hays State. Soon after, he was victorious with an 11-1 major decision over Kweli Hernandez-Maitr of San Francisco State.
 
Gehlhausen's chances of a return trip to the national tournament were ruined when he was pinned by Jason Bynarowicz of Colorado Mesa in 3:53.
 
Despite the defeat, Gehlhausen earned a fifth-place finish with a pin in 4:56, redeeming his loss to Diel.
 
Leake and Campbell will now prepare for the NCAA Championships in Wichita, Kansas on March 15 and 16.