PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico played at home for the first time in 2023 with a doubleheader against Western New Mexico Tuesday evening. The Greyhounds earned a run-rule victory in game one and fell in a tight contest in extra innings.

Game 1
After surrendering a walk to the first batter she faced, Brook Leger went on to retire seven straight Mustangs.

In the top of the third, Cecy Jurado hit a single up the middle to become just the second base runner of the day for WNMU.

Leger did not let the hit faze her as she forced the next two batters to groundout and send the game into the bottom half of the third.

With one out in the frame, Mikenzey Patterson bunted down the third base line and became the third Hound to reach base in the game.

Jennifer Gress advanced her to second with a single up the middle. Following that, Azalea Martinez hit an RBI single and advanced Gress to third.

With runners on the corners, Alondra Vasquez hit a line shot to left center for a two-run double.

A pair of singles by Ashley Nickerson and Jokaira Paredes allowed Vasquez to increase the lead.

A fielder's choice play got Nickerson out at third and put Aylene Lucero at first. Leger brought in the final run of the inning as she hit a single up the middle to score Paredes.

After three innings, the team led 5-0.

The senior ace, Brook Leger, continued to impress as she finished the game by getting eight-straight batters out.

The Hounds added a sixth run with a Vasquez RBI-single in the fourth and headed into the fifth looking to pull off the run-rule win.

They got the job done as two singles and a fielder's choice allowed Patterson to come up to the plate.

One pitch before, the right fielder hit a perfect bunt between the third baseman and pitcher's circle to get the bases loaded. However, the play was called off as Patterson left the batter's box too early.

On the following pitch, she connected on a fastball and sent it to the right centerfield wall to close out the game with a two-RBI triple.

"I just ran until coach stopped me at three," said Mikenzey Patterson when asked about her game-clinching triple. "All I was thinking was put the ball in play and eat it out no matter what."

The Greyhounds outhit the Mustangs, 13-1, in the contest.

Valeria Contreras got the start at shortstop for Eastern New Mexico. She went 1-for-3 at the plate, including one run.

Patterson went a perfect 3-for-3 on the day with two runs scored. Alondra Vasquez finished game one with a pair of hits and three RBI's.

Leger pitched a shutout for the fourth time this season and struckout seven batters.

The game marked the first at home for the Hounds in 2023.

"It's definitely a new experience compared to the grass," said Patterson when asked about the new outfield turf. "We are super excited and super thankful for it. It's so much more exciting and it looks great ll around."

Before the game, ENMU VP of Business Affairs Tony Major was recognized for his contributions to the project and he threw out the first pitch. 

Game 2
The second game of the doubleheader proved to be much different than the first as WNMU came away with an 8-7 victory in the eighth inning.

Western New Mexico scored its first run of the day on a solo shot from Cecy Jurado to deep left field.

On a day with 25+ mile per hour winds, the opportunities for homers was optimal for both teams.

Down 1-0 heading into the bottom of the second, ENMU responded with two runs in the frame.

The score came via a Valeria Contreras double as she drove in Patterson and Nickerson to score.

In the fourth, an RBI-single tied the game at 2-2

Contreras continued her excellence at the plate with an RBI-single and got ENMU its second lead of the night.

A three-run inning opened the door for WNMU in the fifth and the Hounds didn't answer in the fifth.

Instead, they scored two in the sixth to tie the game.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, ENMU looked to put away the Mustangs chance of taking a lead. Instead, WNMU smashed a two-run homer and held a 7-5 lead going into the bottom half of the seventh.

Also, with two outs and two strikes in the count, Katelyn Cifuentes had one of the biggest hits of the night as she connected on a two-run homerun for herself to get the game in extra innings.

In the final inning, WNMU plated one run after having the bases loaded for a brief period.

The game ended on a lineout to the shortstop and WNMU getting the opportunity to catch a base runner off the bag without tagging up.

Western New Mexico and Eastern New Mexico will be back at Greyhound Softball Field at 1 p.m. tomorrow to decide the overall winner of the series.