PORTALES, N.M. – Behind power hitting and strong pitching, Eastern New Mexico Softball (10-4, 3-1 LSC) swept the conference doubleheader with Texas A&M-Kingsville (7-8, 2-2 LSC) on Sunday afternoon at Greyhound Softball Field. Eastern hit four home runs in the first game, taking the contest 8-5 over the Javelinas. In the second game, ENMU held the Javelinas to just four hits and two runs in a tight 3-2 victory.
GAME ONE: ENMU 8, TAMUK 5
Both teams scored in the second inning, with a solo home run getting Texas A&M-Kingsville on the scoreboard first. In the bottom of the inning, Eastern used the long ball to take the lead, as
Aylene Lucero crushed a grand slam to left field, 4-1 ENMU. In the next half inning, a bases loaded single scored another run for TAMUK, but Lucero cut down the runner trying to score on the play to limit the damage to one run.
Eastern's power bats showed up again in the fifth inning, as
Valeria Contreras led off the inning with a solo blast, then two batters later
Christina Meneses also had a solo home run. Contreras kept up the strong afternoon with a two-run blast in the sixth inning, giving Eastern an 8-2 lead heading into the final inning. The Javelinas did cut into that lead with a 3-run inside the park homerun, but Eastern secured the final three outs to take the opening game 8-5.
NOTABLE STATS
- The Greyhounds outhit the Javelinas during the game, 8-5, as Eastern supplied four home runs during the game.
- Contreras and Madison Begaye both had two hits in the game, while Lucero provided a team high four RBIs from the grand slam. Contreras racked up three RBIs from their pair of home runs.
- Marissa Rodriguez (3-2) earned the win in the circle, tossing 4.2 innings of relief with four strikeouts and three runs allowed. Miranda Guillen started the game, throwing 2.1 innings with one hit allowed, with five walks and three strikeouts.
- Arianna Alaniz (2-2) takes the loss for TAMUK, allowing six hits and six earned runs with seven strikeouts. Esther Martinez was tagged for two hits over 1.2 innings, allowing two runs.
- Contreras had their second career two-run home run game, while the Greyhounds hit four home runs in a game for the second time this weekend (2/14/25, 11-1 (6 Inn.) vs TAMIU).
GAME TWO: ENMU 3, TAMUK 2
After a scoreless first two innings, the Greyhounds struck in the third inning to start the scoring.
Ramona Fossum reached base on an error, then advanced to second on a passed ball to get in scoring position. An outfield single from Begaye pushed Fossum to third, then Fossum scored on an RBI fielder's choice from
Chanler Groves. The lead was short lived, as a two-out single scored the Javelinas' first run in the top of the third. The long ball came up again for Eastern in the 4
th inning, with
Alondra Vasquez hitting a towering solo blast to center field, 2-1 ENMU. After the homerun,
Grace Rofii doubled to center field, and Fossum produced an RBI single to put ENMU ahead 3-1. However, the Javelinas halved the deficit with a solo home run in the sixth frame, 3-2 ENMU. In the seventh, a fly out and two strikeouts sealed the victory for Eastern, 3-2, over the Javelinas.
NOTABLE STATS
- Eastern finished with seven hits in the game, while Texas A&M-Kingsville gathered four hits. The Greyhounds supplied two doubles and a home run, with TAMUK having a double and home run.
- Fossum paced the Greyhounds with a pair of hits, with three different Greyhounds recording an RBI. Fossum, Rofii, and Vasquez all scored a run, while defensively, Fossum caught one runner stealing on the bases.
- Jordan Rivera (3-0) twirled a complete game in the circle, striking out seven batters (including four in the final two innings), with just four hits and a pair of runs allowed. Kristina Nash pitched all six innings for the Javelinas, allowing three runs (two earned) over six innings.
- Rivera captured their second complete game of the season and recorded five or more strikeouts in a game for the fourth time in seven appearances this season.
- With the wins, Eastern secured its first series win over the Javelinas since 2014, and the first doubleheader sweep since 2007.
The Greyhounds head out for their first conference road trip of the season next week, facing St. Edward's on Friday, February 21, in a doubleheader in Austin, Texas.
