Pack rebounds to take split from Chadron

Game 1: Chadron State 1, CSU-Pueblo 0
Game 2: CSU-Pueblo 11, Chadron State 2 (5 inn.)

CHADRON, Neb. - It is hard to mentally come back from nearly being no-hit, but that's just what the ThunderWolves did Saturday at Chadron State, shrugging of an early 1-0 loss to put up an impressive 11-2 win.

In the face of the one-hit gem put up on the Pack by pitcher Casey Williams, the ThunderWolves rebounded to hang 12 hits on the Eagles in the nightcap, eight-running Chadron State when it took the 11-2 lead at the end of five.

All nine ThunderWolf starters recorded at least one hit, and seven Chadron State errors on top of it all put the game out of hand by the fourth inning.  Holding a 4-1 lead over the Eagles after three complete, a leadoff double in the fourth by Katie Johnson (Sr., Bonney Lake, Wash.) was followed by two errors that allowed Janine Tyler (Sr., Pueblo, Colo.) and Kelly Purcell (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev.) to reach safely, sending two runs across the plate during the calamity. 

CSU-Pueblo continued to make Chadron pay, hanging three more hits in the inning and banking on two walks and an wild pitch to put up six runs in the inning, leaving it in the hands of starter Kelsey Swanberg (Sr., Arvada, Colo.) to protect the lead. 

Swanberg hurled a gem, allowing just two runs on four hits in recording her third win of the season.  Combined with the game one performance of Amber Higby (Sr., Pueblo, Colo.), who allowed just one run on five hits only to lose the 1-0 pitchers' dual, the Pack allowed just nine hits total to Chadron State.

CSU-Pueblo will look to claim a series win Sunday when the series-ending doubleheader shakes down at Chadron State college.