Saturday, April 11, 2015
PORTALES, N.M. — Infielders
Susannah Chandler (So., Farmington, N.M./Piedra Vista HS) and Morgan Green (Carmichael, Calif./Del Campo HS/Sacramento City College) both batted .500 with a double and two runs batted in during Saturday's Lone Star Conference doubleheader at Zia Field. The Eastern New Mexico University softball team (16-24; LSC 3-17) dropped the opener to second-ranked West Texas A&M by a score of 17-2, and was defeated, 21-7, in the nightcap.
Chandler missed the cycle by just a triple in the nightcap. The fifth-inning homerun was her third of the season. Over the four-game series, Chandler and Green accounted for 10 of Eastern's 30 hits and three of the team's seven extra-base hits.
The Eastern New Mexico University softball team will return to action on Thursday, for a doubleheader at Lubbock Christian. The first game is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. MT.
Game 1The Lady Buffs took a 4-0 lead in the opener on Kaisha Dacosin's grand slam and plated seven runs in the top of the first inning. Green led off the bottom of the second inning a single, before she advanced on a walk to
Savannah Chavez (Sr., RF, Albuquerque, N.M./Valley HS) and an infield single from
Jacqueline Candelaria (Sr., INF, Los Lunas, N.M./Los Lunas HS). Green scored ENMU's first run of the game on a ground out from
Amanda Martinez (Sr., CF, Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown HS/El Paso CC).
The Lady Buffs continued to pull away, however and took a 13-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs, Chavez singled up the middle. Three consecutive walks allowed her to come home with Eastern's second run of the game. West Texas A&M responded with four runs in the top of the fifth and the game was ended due to the Lady Buffs holding a lead in excess of eight runs.
West Texas A&M held a 14-6 edge in total hits. Green batted two-for-three, while
Kyra Sirag (Jr., C/DP, Garden Grove, Calif./Rancho Alamitos HS) doubled for Eastern. Dacosin drove in five runs for WT, while Hannah Newcomb tossed 3.2 innings to earn the win.
Game 2The nightcap saw the Lady Buffs seize another quick lead, with five runs in the top of the first inning. The Zias immediately responded with walks to Martinez and Sirag to lead off the bottom of the frame. One out later, Chandler's single to left plated Martinez, while Green followed with a two-run double. Junior right fielder
Marleyna Piñon (Rio Rancho, N.M./Volcano Vista HS) grounded out for another run, to pull Eastern to within 5-4.
West Texas A&M continued to explode offensively and plated three runs in both the second and third innings, for an 11-4 advantage. Chavez smashed a RBI double in the bottom of the third inning for the Zias' fifth run of the game.
Aja Secheslingloff (Fr., P, Acampo, Calif./Lodi HS) limited the Lady Buffs to a single run on one hit from the fourth through sixth innings, while Chandler homered in the fifth to pull Eastern within 12-6. WT exploded for nine runs in the top of the seventh inning to pull away.
Simone Laurenz (Fr., DP, Portales, N.M./Portales HS) RBI single in the bottom of the inning provided the final margin.
WT held a 21-11 edge in total hits. Chandler batted three-for-four, scored three runs and drove in two. Renee Erwin batted five-for-five for the Lady Buffs, scored five runs and drove in six. Rita Hokianga went the distance and scattered 11 hits to earn the win.
NotesEastern's seven runs were the most it has scored against the Lady Buffs since an 8-7 loss in Canyon on March 5, 2010
