Saturday, February 14, 2015
LAS VEGAS, NEV. — Freshman pitcher
Aja Secheslingloff (Acampo, Calif./Lodi HS) scattered seven hits over four innings as the Eastern New Mexico University softball team (5-2) cruised to a 15-3 win in five innings over University of Texas of the Permian Basin (1-4), Saturday evening in the Desert Stinger Tournament at Majestic Park. With the win, she became the first Zia pitcher to win her first five decisions in a season.
The victory improved the Zias to 21-9 all-time against the Falcons. It also marked the first time ENMU has won five of its first seven games since the 2007 season.
Senior outfielder
Amanda Martinez (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown HS/El Paso CC) was struck by a pitch to lead off the game and stole second, to put Eastern into position to take the lead. After taking third on a ground out, Martinez came home on a squeeze bunt from
Aurelia Sandoval (Sr., C, Farmington, N.M./Piedra Vista HS).
The Falcons had three runners in scoring position over the first two innings, but were unable to push the game-tying run across the plate. UTPB finally pulled even on a two-out RBI single from Niki Desera in the third frame. Eastern answered immediately by capitalizing on two Falcon errors and sending 10 batters to the plate in the top of the fourth and plating seven runs for an 8-1 advantage. The inning was highlighted by back-to-back triples from
Morgan Green (Jr., 3B, Carmichael, Calif. / Del Campo HS / Sacramento City College) and
Jaqueline Candelaria (Sr., 2B, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) to plate the first four runs of the inning.
Texas-Permian Basin managed to pull within 8-3 in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, two-run single from
Ashlynn Williams, but the Zias maintained the offensive pressure in the bottom of the fifth. ENMU sent 11 batters to the plate with seven more runners scoring. Sandoval blasted the third grand slam of her career to cap the scoring.
ENMU held a 14-7 advantage in hits and 11 hits over the final two innings. Secheslingoff fanned four batters and allowed four walks on 90 pitches to earn the win. Kim Alonzo took the loss for UTPB and allowed five runs over 3.2 innings. All nine starters had at least one hit and one run for the Zias, with Candelaria batting three-for-three, while Sandoval drove in a career-best six runs.
The Eastern New Mexico University softball team will conclude play in the Desert Stinger Tournament on Sunday against Central Washington. The first pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. MT.
NOTES Aja Secheslingloff surpassed Dawn Murray's 4-0 start in 2001, to claim the top undefeated start in team history
Aurelia Sandoval's three grand slam home runs have come against Texas-Permian Basin. She accomplished the feat twice on February 29, 2012 in each game of a doubleheader.
This season marks the third time ENMU has won at least five of their first seven games (2007 and 2001 were the others)
With 28 stolen bases,
Amanda Martinez is within three of tying Kristina Goodman and Jessica Rowley for fifth on the career list.
