Wednesday, March 30, 2016

LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Morgan Green and Erikka Burke combined to bat six for 11 for the Eastern New Mexico University softball team's (10-30) non-conference doubleheader at cross-state rival, New Mexico Highlands. The Cowgirls (10-21) swept the doubleheader by scores of 8-2 and 5-1, Wednesday afternoon at Brandt Field.

Despite the setback, Eastern holds a 36-25 lead in the overall series against NMHU, which includes a 14-12 mark on the road. Audrey Velasquez extended her reached-base streak to nine consecutive games, while Susannah Chandler and Kyra Sirag have reached safely in eight straight contests.

The Eastern New Mexico University softball team will return to action on Saturday, for another non-conference doubleheader at Oklahoma Christian. The first game is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. MT.

Game 2
The Greyhounds capitalized on a walk and two singles in the top of the second inning to seize a 1-0 lead. Mariah Rodriguez led off the frame with a walk. Two outs later, Kailee Ramirez and Velasquez followed with singles to plate the go-ahead run. The Cowgirls responded with Monica Caporal's game-tying RBI triple in the bottom of the inning.

Both teams had runners in scoring position with less than two outs in the third inning, but escaped the jam. Jamie Weatherbee delivered a two-out RBI single in the Cowgirl fourth inning, to stake NMHU to a 2-1 lead. Mariah Zerr registered her first hit if the season in the top of the sixth inning and moved into scoring position after a ground ball from Natasha Kissell. Highlands' starter Madison Davis escaped the jam with the one-run lead intact, and the Cowgirls took advantage of a Greyhound error in the bottom of the inning to plate three runs.

Sirag batted two for three for the Hounds, while Burke added a base hit and pitched 5.2 innings. Davis went the distance for New Mexico Highlands and scattered eight hits to earn the win.
Game 1
Eastern pounded out seven hits and drew eight walks in the opener, but stranded 13 runners in the setback. The Hounds got off to a promising start with Velasquez leading off the game with a walk, while Burke followed with an infield single. Morgan Green drew a two-out walk, but NMHU pitcher Michelle Brincefield escaped the jam and kept the game scoreless.

The Hounds capitalized on two walks and singles from Green and Marleyna Piñon in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead, but The Cowgirls took advantage of an error in the bottom of the inning to surge to a 5-1 lead.

Burke drove a one-out single up the middle in the Greyhound sixth to plate Rodriguez from second base. The hit pulled ENMU within three runs, 5-2, but New Mexico Highlands tacked on three runs in the bottom of the inning and held on for the win.

Burke batted two for two for ENMU and allowed just one hit over 0.2 innings of work. Brincefield struck out seven batters and scattered seven hits for NMHU. Green batted two for two with a double, and a run batted in.