Softball looking for next win

    The Chase County softball team lost two double headers last week.
    CCS started off at Holyoke Tuesday.
    The Dragons scored seven runs in the first three innings as the Longhorns’ bats were slow to get going, CCS Head Coach Denise Smith said.
    CCS matched runs with Holyoke, starting in the fourth inning. Jesusita Ruiz crossed the plate, but the Longhorns left runners on the corners. Athziry Valenzuela singled and scored in the fifth inning, Kayla Chavira scored in the fifth inning and Ruiz doubled and scored in the seventh inning of the 4-10 loss.
    In the second game, runs by Chavira, Jaiden Hill and Kathya Aragon gave CCS a 3-2 midway through the second inning.
    Holyoke tied the game in the bottom of the inning, but the Longhorns kept the runs coming thanks to the middle of the order. Jasmine Johnson, Chavira, Hill, Aragon and Annika McDaniel put CCS ahead 8-3.
    Holyoke closed the gap to 8-7 by the end of the third inning.
    Chase County’s offense stalled as 14 runners reached base, but couldn’t score in the final four innings of the 8-14 loss.
    Smith said Hill pitched two good games for CCS.
    “The second game we started to get things going, but I felt like errors really cost us the game,” Smith said, adding a lot of the players saw some action in the doubleheader.
    “I hope that will get a lot of butterflies out of the way for the rest of the season,” she said.
    The Longhorns hosted a rematch with Southern Valley/Alma Thursday. CCS beat the Saints to start the season Aug. 23.
    Smith said the first home games for a year are always a little challenging.
    Add in some injured starters and CCS had plenty of younger and inexperienced players on the field.
    “That’s rough for them to be put in a varsity game early in the season,” Smith said.
    Hailey Markee, Johnson and Chavira scored in the bottom of the first to tie the first game at 3-3. Those would be the Longhorns’ only runs in the 3-20 loss.
    CCS trailed 3-5 at the end of the second inning thanks to runs by Hill, McDaniel and Valenzuela. The Longhorns left runners on third in both innings.
    Hill came around to score once more in the third inning, but, once more, five batters reached base but didn’t score.
    Thirteen runs by SVA in the fourth and fifth innings sealed the game. Krista Meeske and Chavira scored in the fourth inning of the 6-18 loss.
    Smith said Chase County’s lack of offense and defensive errors were a bad combination on the night.
    Hill pitched both games.
Up next
    The Longhorns hosted Yuma County, Colorado, a Yuma/Wray co-op, Tuesday for a double header.
    The teams split the games. A recap will be available in next week’s Republican.
    Chase County’s home stand continues with a doubleheader Thursday with Hershey, then a JV/varsity doubleheader with Gothenburg Saturday.