LOS LUNAS, N.M. – A near perfect pair of games played out for Eastern New Mexico Softball, taking its second sweep of the South-Central Region Softball Crossover. Eastern started the day with an 8-0 win (5 Inn.) over Fort Lewis. Then, the Greyhounds beat Adams State 19-1 (5 Inn.) in the evening game. Eastern move to 4-0 on the season, while both Fort Lewis and Adams State hold an early season record of 1-3.
GAME ONE: ENMU 8, FLC 0 (5 Inn.)
The Greyhounds wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, scoring a pair of runs after the first three batters.
Mikenzey Patterson reached on a bunt single, and
Aylene Lucero walked, setting up
Alondra Vasquez for a 2-RBI single. After a scoreless second inning, Vasquez provided another RBI single to score Patterson, who reached base on an error.
Taighen Whitzel tripled home Vasquez in the next at bat, while
Judith Osuna and
Meilana Lopez posted RBI hits. Osuna singled down to left field line, and Lopez tripled to deep centerfield, 6-0 ENMU.
After an empty bottom of the third inning, Eastern tacked on another two runs when Whitzel singled with two outs to bring home
Cecy Jurado and Lucero. After four hitless innings to begin the game, Fort Lewis broke up the no-hit bid in the first at bat of the 5
th inning. ENMU picked up a 8-0 win over Fort Lewis in five innings.
NOTABLE STATS
- Eastern scored eight runs from seven hits in the game, while allowing just one hit and three walks.
- Five Greyhounds provided the hits, with Vasquez and Whitzel providing a pair of hits and three RBIs each. Patterson and Lucero each scored twice during the game, while Whitzel and Lopez each had an extra base hit (both triples).
- Jordan Rivera earned the win for Eastern, throwing four hitless innings in the circle picking up three strikeouts. Maggie Smith pitched the final inning for ENMU, recording a strikeout.
- Hailie Mann pitched the entire game for the Skyhawks, giving up eight runs (all earned) from seven hits and four walks.
GAME TWO: ENMU 19, ADSU 1 (5 Inn.)
Eastern scored early and often against the Grizzlies during an outstanding 19-1 victory.
Samantha Gutierrez brought home the first run in the 1
st inning, doubling home Lucero from second. Lopez followed with a double of their own to trade places with Gutierrez. In the second frame, Eastern loaded the bases with no outs after a pair of errors and a walk. Lucero scored a run on an infield single, then Vasquez doubled in the gap to extend the lead to 6-0. Whitzel then brought home Vasquez with a single. ENMU tallied two more runs in the second after an Adams State error in the field.
In the third inning, the Greyhounds pushed across four more runs. A Whitzel RBI double began the scoring, then Lopez posted an RBI single, and
Emma Southerland brought home a pair of runs from a double. The offense continued in the 4
th inning, with
Grace Rofii bringing home a pair of runs with a double. Shortly after,
Sydney Loyet lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score the Greyhounds 16
th run. ENMU's offense closed the night out with Rofii sending a three-run homerun over the left field fence to push the advantage to 19-1.
Despite the run support, the Greyhounds pitching only gave up a single run and four hits as Eastern claimed a 19-1 win over Adams State.
Â
NOTABLE STATS
- Eastern scored their runs from 11 hits (seven extra base hits) and seven walks. ENMU scored in each inning, accounting for 18 RBIs.
- Seven different hitters picked up a base hit, while eight different Greyhounds had an RBI.
- Lucero scored five runs from the lead-off position in the lineup, while Rofii went 2-2 with a team best five RBIs. Whitzel, Vasquez, Lopez, and Southerland all had multiple RBIs in the contest.
- In the circle, Southerland allowed just three hits and one run in four innings of work with four strikeouts. Ciara Loken tossed a scoreless 5th inning for the Greyhounds, recording a pair of K's.
- For Adams State, three different pitchers entered the circle. Ellie Heiser started the game and is given the loss, in their one inning of action.
FROM THE SOURCE
"Day two was an exciting day in the circle for multiple pitchers getting time," said Head ENMU Softball Coach Amanda Fefel. "Jordan Rivera, Maggie Smith, and Ciara Loken are all new arms in our staff, and it was good to see them produce in their roles," said Fefel.
Our hitters are seeing the ball well right now. There is clutch production throughout our lineup 1-9," said Fefel. "We were defensively solid and made the heads-up plays,".
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- 19 runs are the 5th most runs scored in a single game for the Greyhounds, and the most since 2020 when Eastern put up 20 runs on New Mexico Highlands (2/1/2020). The 18 RBIs from the Greyhounds stands at a tie for 3rd most in a single game in program history.
- During the scoring fest with Adams State, Lucero tied a single game record for runs scored in a game with five. The feat has only happened twice with Jennifer McElroy achieving the feat in 2019 against New Mexico Highlands (2/11/19).
- More Greyhounds made their debut for ENMU: Ashley Burns, Jurado, Loken, Loyet, Rivera, and Smith
- For Loken, it was their first career collegiate game.
- Eastern looks to finish the weekend strong, as they face in-state rival New Mexico Highlands on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 4. Game time, originally scheduled for 11:30 a.m., is now for set 12:30 p.m.
