By Andres Madrid
PUEBLO, Colo. - (GoThunderWolves.com - April 6, 2014) - With the 2014 regular season winding down for the CSU-Pueblo softball team, the competition is just heating up as the Pack wrapped up a 4-game series against Chadron State, splitting the series two apiece.
In the first game on Sunday, the ThunderWolves jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when leadoff batter Jasmine Vogel (Jr., Oceanside, Calif.) hit a single to left field and was followed with an RBI-triple to center field by Alexa Snyder (Jr., Pueblo, Colo.), scoring Vogel.
Snyder would score later in the inning on a groundout to shortstop from Ariel Lopez (Jr., Fontana, Calif.) giving the Pack a 2-0 lead.
The Pack would score another run in the second inning on a Moriah Turney (Fr., Brighton, Colo.) blast over the left field wall.
In the home half of the third, Lopez would hit a homerun to left field. Her third of the season. The ThunderWolves would tally another run in the inning following back-to-back doubles from Madison Wolfe (So., Oxnard, Calif.) and Lacey Chesser (Sr., Oxnard, Calif.), giving the Pack a 4-0 lead after three innings.
Pack starting pitcher Samantha Avii (Sr., San Diego, Calif.) went five innings, giving up three runs on five hits to the Eagles, while striking out five batters in picking up her third win of the season.
Kelli Henry (Jr., Monument, Colo.) came on to pitch in relief to begin the sixth inning, shutting down the Eagles, allowing one run on just two hits, all of which came in the final inning.
In the finale, the Chadron State offense was sparked early as their leadoff hitter Sarah Knudsen homered off starting hurler Wolfe.
The Eagles would build on their lead in the third with two singles in the inning.
Two more runs in the fourth inning for the Eagles was all they needed as CSU-Pueblo was held in check, managing three hits in the contest.
With the series split, it sets up a big series next weekend when CSU-Pueblo (18-15, 15-7) will travel to Colorado Springs to take on the current Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference leading UC-Colorado Springs (20-10, 16-7). The Mountain Lions hold a half-game lead over the Pack for the top spot in the RMAC.
The four-game series is set to begin Saturday at 12 p.m. at the Four Diamond Sports Complex, where UCCS plays their home games.
