Friday, April 28, 2017
PORTALES, NM — On Friday afternoon, junior pitcher
Kiana Zerr registered one of her best starts in the circle this season, while
Ashley Lopez,
Erikka Burke, and
Audrey Velasquez combined for nine hits. The Eastern New Mexico University softball team (20-35; LSC 10-19) dropped a Lone Star Conference doubleheader to seventh-ranked West Texas A&M (39-9; LSC 23-6) at Greyhound Softball Field. The Lady Buffs captured the first game by a 15-1 score and earned a 7-2 win in the nightcap.
The teams will conclude the series on Saturday morning. Head Coach
Katie Welborn announced after Friday's doubleheader, that Saturday's game has been moved up to 10:30 a.m. due to weather concerns. The Greyhounds will honor seniors Velasquez,
Susannah Chandler and
Katie Ripple after the game. The contest will be video streamed on GoEasternAthletics.com if weather conditions permit.
"Against WT we have to play well in all three phases of the game, Welborn said. "We have to pitch well, hit well, and defend well."
"She (Kiana Zerr) did a great job," Welborn said. "She knew what we need and gave it to us. Audrey stayed consistent. I'm proud of the way she's been playing."
Game 2
In the nightcap, the Lady Buffs managed to load the bases with just one out in the top of the first inning, but Zerr managed to escape the jam. With a 1-2 count, the junior pitcher had strike three called to retire designated player Allie Smith, and popped Maddie Green up to end the threat.
The Hounds responded in the bottom of the frame, when
Audrey Velasquez led off with a single to right field, and advanced to third base on a pair of groundouts. Facing an 0-2 count,
Ashley Lopez delivered a two-out single through the right side of the WT infield to stake the Hounds to a 1-0 lead.
After Zerr registered her third and fourth strikeouts of the game, Eastern almost escaped the second inning with the lead intact. Ashley Hardin drove a grand slam to left field to give the Lady Buffs the lead for good. Two of the next three WT runs would also come on homers from Hardin and Kylee Moore.
The Hounds managed a second run after an
Erikka Burke bunt single in the fifth.
Susannah Chandler followed with a single, before Lopez plated Burke with her second RBI single of the game.
"I just knew how good they were as hitters," said Zerr. "I just focused on hitting spots. I used my knuckleball and change, and worked inside and out to keep them off balance."
Zerr matched a season best four strikeouts and walked just three batters. WT's Alexis Alfonso scattered 11 hits and struck out five batters. Lopez paced the Hounds with a three-for-four performance, while Burke added two hits.
Game 1
WT's Kourtney Coveny did most of the damage in the opener and drove in six RBIs on three homers. Her first inning homerun to right field staked the Lady Buffs to a 2-0 lead. Eastern managed to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first, when Lopez plated Velasquez with a squeeze bunt.
West Texas A&M threatened again in the top of the second, and loaded the bases with one out. Lopez grabbed what looked to be another hit from Coveny for an out, and tossed to second base for a double play to escape the jam. The Lady Buffs scored 13 runs over the third, fourth and fifth inning, to end the game.
Velasquez had two of Eastern's four hits in the game, while
Tiana Faagalulu and Burke both singled. WT's Kilee Halbert earned the win.
