DENVER, Colo. – A rocky start through the first weekend of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play for the Regis University Ranger softball team as they dropped both Sunday games to the Chadron State Eagles. The Eagles came out swinging in the first game and carried it into the second as the Rangers fell 10-0 and 9-8.

Offensively, the Rangers struggled throughout much of the day until halfway through the second game. RU combined for 13 hits and left 12 runners on base but could not slow down Chadron State who tallied 26 hits through both games.

Chadron State opened the top of the first similar to that of the second game in day one immediately putting four on the board. The Eagles followed that up with three runs a piece in each the second and third innings. Finally, in the bottom of the fourth, Carlie Sexton and Rachel Illias had back-to-back singles recording the only two hits of the game for RU but were left stranded. Game one ended after the fifth inning hopeful that the Rangers would regroup to take the last game of the series.

The Eagles, again, began the second game bringing one across in the first and second and then a five-spot in the top of the third to lead 6-0. Regis left five runners stranded through the first three innings but turned things around in the fourth. Kaci McClure doubled down the left field line to score Alyssa Finger who reached on a walk to give RU a little bit of life.

A big bottom of the fifth closed the gap on the Eagles lead to 7-6 as Bradey King got things started on the lead-off with a triple to right field. Then, Sexton walked and Illias singled to third base to load the bases for Nicole Aviles. Aviles walked which scored King and immediately following that Delaney McGinn had a sacrifice fly to right field to score Sexton. With help from a wild pitch, Illias scored and runners advanced into a scoring position just in time for McClure to reach on a walk and Macy Cox to unload with a stand-up double to score both Aviles and McClure.

Both teams went back-and-forth throughout the remainder of the game as the Eagles brought one runner across in the six to take an 8-6 lead. Sexton scored King on a double to left in the bottom half of the sixth. Pinch runner Michelle Larose advanced to third on a wild pitch and she was brought across from an Aviles sacrifice fly to center to tie the score for the first time 8-8.

CSC put another one up on the board in the bottom of the seventh off two hits to lead 9-8 giving the visitors back the lead. RU put up two hits in the bottom of the seventh but left runners stranded to close out the weekend.

In the second game, King went 3-for-5 and scored two runs. McClure went 2-for-3 with one RBI and quite possibly was the turning point in the game with her shot down the left field line.

On the mound, Aviles started the first game and recorded the loss moving her to an overall record of 2-4. Nicole Hull started the second game but Rachel Jones came in to pitch in 4.1 innings to record the loss.

Regis heads out on the road Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28 to New Mexico Highlands. Doubleheader on Saturday is set for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.