Longhorn softball splits with SV, Minden

    Chase County’s softball team won its season opener over Southern Valley and went down to the wire with Minden at the team’s triangular in Stamford last week.
    The Longhorns took extra innings to take down Southern Valley.
    Krista Meeske scored for CCS in the first inning, but the Longhorns left the bases loaded.
    Chase County had answers for the two runs Southern Valley scored in the bottom of the first inning. As Saints’ pitchers struggled to find the strike zone, Athziry Valenzuela, Addisen Leibbrandt, Meeske, Jasmine Johnson and Kayla Chavira all reached base and crossed home plate.
    The Longhorns took a 6-3 lead into the third inning after allowing one Southern Valley run in the second. The bottom third of Chase County’s lineup put the ball in play in the top of the third. None, however, were able to score. Two runs by Southern Valley closed the gap to 6-5, but CCS held the bases loaded to end the inning.
    Chase County racked up six hits in the fourth inning to drive home three more runs, Meeske, Johnson and Kathya Aragon. Southern Valley kept pace, scoring four runs of its own, just enough to tie the game at 9-9 and send it to extra innings.
    With a baserunner starting on second in each half of the inning, Chase County scored one run and didn’t allow a Southern Valley runner past third base to secure the 10-9 win.
    The last time CCS won its season opener was 2017 when the Longhorns beat Blue Hill.
    Chase County Head Coach Denise Smith said it’s always good to get a first win of the season on the first night.
    As the visitors once more against Minden, CCS loaded the bases in both the first and second innings, but didn’t score any runs, giving Minden time to grab a 4-0 lead.
    The Longhorns tied the game in the fourth inning with runs by Jesusita Ruiz, Meeske, Johnson and Chavira. CCS, unfortunately, left the bases full again. Minden picked up two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
    Meeske scored once more in the top of the fourth inning to pull CCS to within one, 5-6. Minden added a safety run in the bottom of the fourth inning before time ran out, handing Chase County the 5-7 loss.
    Jaiden Hill pitched both complete games.
    With Smith watching from home, the team was coached by assistants Karli Hale and Mallory Connelly.
    The coaches said the girls were completely locked in during both games, and they couldn’t ask for a better start to the season.
    The Longhorns “fought hard and we are extremely proud of the way they played,” they said.
    Southern Valley bounced back to beat Minden in the final game of the triangular.
Up next
    Chase County was originally scheduled for a game with Yuma, Colorado Thursday, but Yuma is co-oping with Wray, Colorado this year.
    Having a week between games wasn’t a bad thing, Smith said, adding she has a list from the Southern Valley and Minden games of things to work on and go over.
    “That’s a continuing process through the season,” Smith said.
    CCS traveled to Holyoke for a double header Tuesday.
    The Longhorns will face Southern Valley (2-6) once more for a double header Thursday, their home opener in Imperial.
    A varsity doubleheader with Wray here is on the schedule for Sept. 6.
    Games continue hot and heavy next week with home contests against Hershey Sept. 8 and a JV/varsity match up with Gothenburg Sept. 10.