LUBBOCK, Texas – Eastern New Mexico softball opened the 2023 campaign with a win over Newman and a narrow loss to Nebraska-Kearney.
Game 1 – Newman
ENMU got off to a quick start as they took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Alondra Vasquez scored the team's first run of the season off a fielder's choice igniting a statement inning for the Hounds.
On the following at-bat,
Taighen Whitzel took her first swings as a Greyhound. With a 1-1 count, a pitch soared into the zone and the junior designated player smashed the ball into deep right-center for a three-run homerun.
Newman tallied one run in the top of the second, but the Greyhounds answered back with another four-run inning.
The scoring party stayed rocking with a double from
Chanler Groves, single from
Jennifer Gress, double from
Azalea Martinez, a double from
Alondra Vasquez, and a double from
Ashley Nickerson.
Soon enough, Eastern saw its lead grow to 8-1.
The Jets did manage to narrow the lead to an 8-4 mark with a three-run rally in the top of the third.
ENMU picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth off a leadoff homerun from none other than Whitzel. The junior is the only player in the Lone Star Conference to hit two homeruns in a single game today.
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"Our team goes 110% all the time," said
Taighen Whitzel after the game. "We are always backing up each other whether it is the small things or the big things. We really rely on each other and that's what boosted us to take the win."
Senior ace
Brook Leger threw a complete game to earn the win. She finished the afternoon with four strikeouts and only three earned runs allowed.
In her Greyhound debut,
Alondra Vasquez went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. The Dominican Republic native caught all seven innings for ENMU against Newman.
Another new Hound showcased her talents at the plate versus Newman as Ashlyn Nickerson hit 2-for-2 with a double and a walk.
Game 2 – Nebraska-Kearney
The final game of the day turned out to be much different than the previous contest for ENMU.
Nebraska-Kearney made a splash offensively early into the game as they took a 4-0 advantage after two innings of play. They took advantage of crucial mistakes by Eastern, including hitting a batter with a pitch and allowing sacrifice flys.
The Lopers led 7-1 after the fourth inning thanks to a base hit and earning crucial scoring opportunities off a pair of players resulting in runners scoring in fielder's choice chances.
Nine Greyhounds earned a hit against UNK, but the biggest scoring inning for the team came from a trio of walks in the top of the fifth to narrow the deficit, 7-5.
Marissa Rodriguez threw the final 2.2 innings for the Hounds where she remained consistent and only allowed one run in that span.
"I feel like the team did really good. We stayed positive and had a lot of energy," said Rodriguez after the game. "We are a family and we had a lot of energy. That is what helped us mostly."
In the final frame of the contest, the game got very interesting.
Junior
Vivian Pichardo got her first career hit with one out in the seventh.
Jennifer Gress followed Pichardo in the order and smashed a homer to left field and kept the Greyhounds in prime opportunity to tie.
UNK made a pitching change in the one-run game to try and get the final two outs of the ballgame.
The Greyhounds did not go down without a fight towards the end.
Azalea Martinez hit a second-pitch single and
Alondra Vasquez followed it up with a single of her own.
This situation setup the game-tying runner at second base.
Despite the instant change of momentum, the Lopers held on and found a way to make the final two outs of the game and take a win over ENMU.
Eastern New Mexico will face Southern Nazarene at 12 p.m. MT and No. 22 Washburn at 4 p.m. MT. Live stats are available on goeasternathletics.com. Stay updated on all things ENMU softball by following the team on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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