PORTALES, N.M. – Coming into Tuesday's doubleheader with Texas Woman's, Eastern New Mexico trailed the Pioneers by six-hundredths of a percentage in overall conference standings. After a pair of wins this afternoon, the Greyhounds now sit in sole possession of tenth place in league play.
Game 1
ENMU got off on the right track with
Marissa Rodriguez in the circle for game one. The freshman right-hander made quick work downing the first three TWU batters.
One of the top arms in the LSC was due for Texas Woman's in the matchup. Alyssa LeBlanc got the nod for the visitor's and came into Portales with 211 strikeouts in 2023.
The pace of the game took off with ease as ENMU's first two batters were set down.
Alondra Vasquez took a different route for the Hounds as she found a perfect pitch over the plate. The junior timed the throw perfectly and sent it over the left field fence to give Eastern New Mexico the early 1-0 lead.
"Setting the tone early in game one was huge," said head coach
Amanda Fefel on the homer after the game. "Alondra's was a no-doubter."
Rodriguez managed to earn a strikeout to begin the second inning, but TWU answered with a solo shot over the center field fence. With the game knotted at 1-1, the freshman pitcher did not seem fazed in the slightest.
Instead, she went on to retire the next five batters, including a pair of strikeouts.
Texas Woman's got themselves in an ideal situation in the fourth inning. The Pioneers began the frame with a base hit to left field and advancing the runner on a sacrifice bunt.
TWU looked to have the opportunity to score the go-ahead run with a shot to right center, but a relay throw from
Mikenzey Patterson (RF) to
Jokaira Paredes (2B) and
Alondra Vasquez (C) got to home just in time to tag the runner coming from third base. The play kept the game tied in a crucial moment in the contest.
Not only did Rodriguez have a stellar day in the circle, but she was responsible for the go-ahead run in the bottom half of the fourth.
The freshman took the seventh pitch in a back-and-forth battle with LeBlanc and sent it over the right center fence. The homerun was her third in 2023.
With three innings remaining, she managed to down nine of the final eleven batters to lock-in a win for her team.
"I think she has been in a great headspace for us recently," said Fefel on the pitcher after the contest. "I think she has earned it."
She went all seven innings allowing just three hits, three walks, and a run. Her command stayed consistent with good speed and a drop ball that saw several Pioneers looking at it rather than taking a cut. Rodriguez finished with seven strikeouts and threw 106 pitches.
Vasquez finished the contest with a pair of hits and
Mikenzey Patterson was the other Hound with a hit in game one.
The victory moved ENMU ahead of TWU in conference standings and marked Fefel's 40th win as the head coach of Eastern New Mexico softball.
Game 2
The next contest proved to be another tight battle.
Brook Leger got the start in the circle for Eastern and made it difficult for TWU hitters to find much success against her.
Over the opening three innings, the senior allowed just one hit – a double in the second frame.
ENMU managed to get runners on base in every inning early on, but could not take advantage until the third.
In the bottom half of the third, the Greyhounds scored three runs.
Ashley Nickerson got the ball rolling with a base hit to the pitcher. Then,
Alondra Vasquez got on base via a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt. The throw to second was misplayed and
Emily Muth (pinch running for Nickerson) reached second base.
A groundout for Rodriguez advanced the runners into scoring position and ENMU got a sensible taste with just one out in the inning. On the ensuing play,
Torianna Borunda got on base with a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a throwing error by the pitcher.
The play allowed both runners to score and gave ENMU a 2-0 lead.
Valeria Contreras hit a grounder to third and that gave Borunda enough time to reach third base with the throw out at first.
Jokaira Paredes came up with a clutch hit with two outs.
The senior hit a double to left center and allowed Borunda to score and give Eastern the 3-0 advantage.
"That's huge," said Fefel when asked about the play. "If we don't get that run there, that's the difference in the game."
Eastern New Mexico managed to score another run in the bottom of the fourth.
The scoring opportunity began with a one-out triple for
Mikenzey Patterson. The Hounds right fielder is known for her ability to reach base with her speed, but she is also the LSC's leader in triples. Patterson earned her fifth of the season as she barreled a ball to right center and earned a spot to be sixty feet away from home.
Nickerson chopped a ball that deflected off the pitcher's mitt and the Pioneer's shortstop threw out Nickerson on the play. The bang-bang play allowed Patterson enough room to score the eventual game-deciding run.
ENMU's defense came up with huge plays down the stretch and one of the most notable came in the sixth. Leger had just struckout a batter swinging and without a flinch, Vasquez threw out a runner trying to steal. The double play setup the team to earn an infield popup and head to the seventh.
TWU got the first two batters on base and advanced them into scoring position with no outs. Leger was able to get a pair of quick outs, but then Texas Woman's brought in LeBlanc as a pinch hitter. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, the ball was sent over the right field wall and the game was within a score with two outs in the final inning of regulation.
The visitors almost tied the game up, but Leger did not allow that to happen as she struckout the final batter on five pitches.
"I felt really relaxed and confident," said Leger when asked about the game. "I think we really came together and we are showing that we are fighting for one another."
Leger allowed just four hits, two walks, and three runs on 107 pitches. The senior improved to 11-7 and helped her team continue a four-game winning streak over the Pioneers.
The win moves Eastern New Mexico to 15-20 in conference play.
Both squads will faceoff in the final game of the series Wednesday at 12 p.m.
