Saturday, March 28, 2015
KINGSVILLE, TEXAS — Sophomore infielder
Audrey Velasquez (Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) led the Eastern New Mexico University softball team (15-17; LSC 3-13) with a .714 batting average in Saturday's Lone Star Conference doubleheader at Hubert Field. The Zias finished with 19 hits, but dropped 2-1 and 9-7 decisions to host Texas A&M-Kingsville (13-14; LSC 5-7).
With the victories, Texas A&M-Kingsville earned its first series win against Eastern since they won two of three games in the 2011 season. The teams split last season after ENMU won back to back series in the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
The Eastern New Mexico University softball team will return to action on Tuesday, when they host Southwestern Oklahoma State for a non-conference doubleheader. The first game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
Game 1In the opener, freshman pitcher
Aja Secheslingloff (Acampo, Calif./Lodi HS) limited the Javelinas to just four hits and fanned six batters. Texas A&M-Kingsville, however, opportunistically took advantage of a leadoff walk followed by a double in the third inning. Ariel Kellogg and Haley Boyett followed with squeeze bunts to stake the Javelinas to a 2-0 lead.
Audrey Velasquez singled to start the Zia sixth inning and moved into scoring position on a one-out walk to
Kyra Sirag (Jr., DP, Garden Grove, Calif./Rancho Alamitos HS).
Susannah Chandler (So., SS, Farmington, N.M./Piedra Vista HS) delivered a two-out RBI double to halve the deficit, but the Zias were unable to bring the game-tying run home.
Eastern held a 7-4 edge in total hits, but stranded 10 runners on base in the game.
Audrey Velasquez batted three-for-three with a double, while
Amanda Martinez (Sr., CF, Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown HS/El Paso CC) and Chandler also doubled for ENMU. Carlie Clark went the route for the Javelinas and scattered seven hits.
Game 2Eastern wielded the hot bats early on in the nightcap and sent 10 batters to the plate in the first inning. Chandler's RBI single got ENMU on the board and
Elizabeth Velasquez (Sr., LF, Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces HS) followed with a three-run double.
Jacqueline Candelaria (Sr., 2B, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS) registered the Zias fifth hit of the inning, before Karri Smith relieved starting pitcher Bella Rosas in the circle.
Emily Goode (R-So., RF, Fairfield, Calif./Fairfield HS/Solano College) drove in a fifth run for Eastern, before the Javelinas escaped the jam.
Texas A&M-Kingsville capitalized on leadoff walks to Boyett and Rachael Longoria in the bottom of the inning to pull within 5-2 and tacked on single runs in the third and fourth frames to close within 5-4. Boyett led off the sixth inning with a triple to deep right field and tied the game on a Longoria squeeze bunt, when she beat a throw to the plate. Longoria would score the go-ahead run one out later on a Loren Donaldson double. Texas A&M-Kingsville tacked on three more runs before the inning concluded for a 9-5 advantage.
The Zias mounted one final rally in the seventh, with
Morgan Green (Jr., 1B, Carmichael, Calif./Del Campo HS/Sacramento City College), Sirag and Chandler all hitting singles to load the bases with no outs. Smith struck out the next two batters, before
Aurelia Sandoval (Sr., RF/C, Farmington, N.M./Piedra Vista HS) drove a two-run single to left centerfield to cut Eastern's deficit in half, 9-7. Smith induced a ground ball from the next batter to escape the jam.
The Javelinas held a 13-12 edge in total hits.
Audrey Velasquez batter two-for-four with a double. Sirag, Chandler and Candelaria also had two base hits each. Smith scattered seven hits and allowed two runs over 6.2 innings to earn her fifth win of the season.
NotesAudrey Velasquez extended her hit streak to 10 consecutive games and has reached base safely in 28 straight games
Amanda Martinez has a hit in her last six games and has reached base in 24 consecutive games
