Tuesday, February 16, 2016
PORTALES, N.M. —
Aja Secheslingloff (4-1) scattered six hits to improve to 12-3 in February games for the Eastern New Mexico University softball team (5-4). The sophomore pitcher fanned four batters en-route to a 10-1 win in the opening game of a doubleheader against New Mexico Highlands. The Cowgirls (3-4) bounced back to win the nightcap by a 7-5 score, Tuesday at Greyhound Field.
With the split, Eastern moved to 32-24 in the series against Highlands. The game two loss snapped a five-game home win streak against the Cowgirls. New Mexico Highlands last win in Portales, came on February 20, 2013, by an 11-2 score.
Erikka Burke extended her hitting streak to five straight games, just two shy of Audrey Velsaquez's season-best, seven-game stretch. ENMU's seven walks in the second game were a season high.
The Eastern New Mexico University softball team will return to action this weekend for the North Texas Softball Bash in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Greyhounds will open play with Lubbock Christian on Friday at 11 a.m.
Game 1
Secheslingloff allowed just one baserunner over each of the first two innings and never looked back as the Hounds exploded offensively to end the game after five innings. Velasquez reached on an error to lead off the ENMU first inning, before she stole second base.
Susannah Chandler drew a one-out walk, before
Morgan Green and Marleyna Piñon followed with back-to-back RBI singles.
Kyra Sirag followed with a booming RBI double to centerfield, before
Kiana Zerr drove in a run to give Eastern a 5-0 lead.
Erikka Burke drove a two-out homer to right field in the second inning, before Sirag's RBI single plated Green with ENMU's seventh run in the third frame. Piñon and Sirag combined to drive in a trio of two-out runs in the fourth inning to stake the Hounds to a 10-0 lead.
Secheslingloff had a three-hit shutout into the fifth inning, but the Cowgirls managed three hits and plated their lone run with two outs. Eastern was efficient at the plate and scored 10 runs on 10 hits. Sirag was exceptionally explosive and registered a three-for-three outing with a double and five runs batted in.
Game 2
The Greyhounds chased NMHU starter Brianna Velasquez from the circle just one inning into the nightcap, with four runs on five hits. Eastern also managed six walks from relief pitcher Michelle Brincefield, but only managed to push one more run across the plate.
Natasha Kissell retired the Cowgirls in order in the top of the first, to set the stage for another powerful start by the Hounds. One out into the ENMU first inning, Burke and Chandler cracked back-to-back homers for a 2-0 lead.
Highlands struck back immediately with a two-out, two-run single from Marissa Valencia in the second inning, but Eastern was still in the zone while at the plate. Piñon and Kissell singled to lead off the bottom of the inning, and
Katie Ripple drew a walk to load the bases.
Mariah Rodriguez drove a two-run single to right field, as Eastern took another two-run lead. The Cowgirls answered with a three-run third inning to take their first lead of the doubleheader, 5-4, after a two-out, two-run single from Victoria Gonzales.
Although ENMU pulled even at 5-all on Ripple's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third, the Cowgirls struck for single runs in the fifth and sixth inning for the win.
Green doubled for the Hounds, while Velasquez added a single. Zerr allowed just one earned run over four innings of relief for Eastern. In six innings of relief, Brincefield allowed three hits, but just one with runners on base. Katelyn Bates hit three-for-four for NMHU, with a pair of RBIs.
