Longhorns win both in Yuma double-header

    A road trip to Yuma, Colorado resulted in two more wins for the Chase County softball team Saturday.
    CCS got on the board early in game one with its first four batters crossing home plate. The bases were loaded when the tip of the inning ended. Yuma answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
    The Longhorns added more runs in the second inning. Markenna Terryberry tripled to lead off the inning. Yuma scored two to cut Chase County’s lead to 8-5 at the end of two innings.
    Both teams went down in order in the third inning, before CCS wasted Jaiden Hill’s fourth-inning triple.  
    CCS extended its lead with a run in the fifth inning. CCS had the bases loaded before its at-bat ended.
    After sitting Yuma down in order in the bottom of the fifth, CCS went down in order in the sixth. Yuma added one run in the bottom of the inning, making the score 9-7 heading into the seventh inning.
    CCS scored three runs and loaded the bases in the top of the seventh. Yuma loaded the bases but couldn’t score any runs to give CCS a 12-7 win.
    Hill struck out five and walked three batters.
    Terryberry had three hits.
    CCS opened game two with a run by leadoff hitter Jesusita Ruiz and scored Addie Leibbrandt in the second inning, but left the bases loaded in both innings.
    Yuma scored 10 runs in the first five innings. Needing two runs to end the game Yuma loaded the bases in the fifth, but a strikeout by Hill kept CCS in the game.
    CCS Head Coach Denise Smith said she told her team to be patient at the plate and take a strike. The strategy worked. The Longhorns scored eight runs in the inning, including a grand slam by Ruiz on a rip to left center field.
    Kayla Chavira and Hill singled in the inning.
    Chase County kept the momentum going in the seventh inning, adding 11 more runs to give the Longhorns a 21-12 win.
    Chavira got two of her three hits during the seventh inning. Also singling were Terryberry and Leibbrandt.
    Hill struck out five and walked one in her second  seven-inning complete game of the day.
    The Longhorns traveled to Cozad Sept. 21 where the varsity was held hitless in a 0-10 loss and the JV fell 0-17.
    Hill walked three and struck out four in the varsity game.
    CCS faced Cozad and Gothenburg in Ogallala last Thursday.
    CCS held the Swedes scoreless in the first and third innings, but lost the four-inning game 0-10.
    Krista Meeske’s third inning single was Chase County’s only hit.
    Hill walked two and struck out one.
    The Longhorns were blanked 0-15 by Cozad.
    Jasmine Johnson singled in the first inning and Chavira doubled to left center field in the second inning.
    Hill struck out one batter and walked two.
    Also playing in Ogallala were McCook, North Platte, Alliance, Chadron and Gering.
Up next
    The CCS JV hosted McCook Monday evening, before heading to Alma for a varsity games with Southern Valley/Alma and Kearney Catholic Tuesday.  
    The Longhorns will make up a doubleheader with Southern Valley/Alma on Thursday.
    The regular season wraps up Saturday with home games against Alliance and Chadron.
    Subdistricts begin Oct. 4. The highest seed, most likely Cozad or Gothenburg, will host. The wins over Yuma should be enough to earn CCS the third seed.
    Smith said she likes how her Longhorns match up with Gothenburg and is hoping for a matchup with the Swedes.
    Finals of the single elimination tourney will be Oct. 7.