After losing Shannon McClenahan and Taylor Gross to injury last week vs. Colorado Christian, the CMU softball team (17-11, 15-9 RMAC) returned to full strength in Nebraska for doubleheaders against Chadron State. The Mavs split, with a 12-6 win and 4-2 loss Saturday, followed by a 5-3 loss and 6-5 win Sunday.

“I missed game one this weekend because [my hamstring] still felt tight and hurt a little to play on,” McClenahan said. “It felt very good to be back out there with the team and help earn the win.”

The Mavericks started Saturday’s first game trailing by two runs early. In the second inning, Lisa Pille hit a grand slam to right-center field bringing home Lauren Cross, Courtney Maihi and Mackenzy Derrick. The Mavs put one more on the board in the third before allowing four Eagles runs in the bottom of the frame to give Chadron the lead. Following a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, the Mavericks came alive in the top of the sixth with Pille tripling off early and then being brought home on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Gross. Heading into the final inning with the 10-6 lead, the Mavericks added two more runs for insurance and to win the game by a final of 12-6.

Courtney Maihi earned the win, advancing to 11-6 on the season. Maihi also hit 2-3 with a run and three RBI’s. Pille hit 2-4 with two runs and four RBIs. Smith hit 2-4 with two RBI’s.

Game two started with four scoreless innings. CMU broke the tie in the fifth when Maihi singled up the middle to score Jessica Albertson and Gross to give the Mavs a 2-0 lead. However, the Eagles rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Chadron tied it up then hit the walk-off two-run homer to win by a final of 4-2.

Ashley Pulido picked up the loss, falling to 4-5. Albertson hit 2-3 with a run, and Maihi hit 1-3 with two RBI’s.

The Mavs tried to regain control of the series Sunday morning in another doubleheader. CMU scored two runs early, the first on with McClenahan scoring on a Woosley single. Chadron scored three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead. Both teams exchanged runs until the Eagles put up a final run in the sixth for a 5-3 lead. The Mavs fell short to lose their second straight, 5-3.

Pulido pitched her second straight game and dropped to 4-6 on the season. Lita Romero went 0-2 and scored a run for the Mavs. Brooke Ortale hit 3-4 on the day with a run.

Trying to bounce back from Sunday morning’s loss, the Mavs tied up the series in their final game. CMU took over in the top fifth when Pille hit her second grand slam of the weekend. However, Chadron tied it up 5-5 in the bottom fifth. In the final inning with bases loaded, Woosley reached on a fielder’s choice to score Lindsay Drayer and give the Mavs a 6-5 lead. Pulido entered in the fifth inning and shut down the Eagles with a strikeout in the seventh to win, 6-5.

Maihi gave up five runs on five hits with one strikeout. Pulido pitched three full innings, with one earned run and two strikeouts. Pille hit 2-3 with one run and four RBI’s from her grand slam. She had eight RBI’s off two grand slams in the series. However, Mclenahan believes the Mavs have work to do at the plate.

“As a team we weren’t really hitting to our abilities,” McClenahan said. “But it was really good to go out there and show our potential as a team and we’re one step closer.”

The Mavericks return home this weekend for doubleheaders against Western New Mexico at Bergman Field.