PORTALES, NM — Senior Erikka Burke homered for the 32nd time in her career and the Eastern New Mexico University softball team nearly rallied from a six-run deficit in the nightcap of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Greyhound Softball Field. Lubbock Christian picked up a 21-3 win in the opening game, but had to overcome a ferocious seventh-inning rally from ENMU to claim a 9-8 win in the nightcap.

The Long Ball
Burke’s homer was her tenth of the season, bringing her within one of Rachael Mohler’s team record
ENMU has 32 homers on the season, fifth-most in team history

Game 2
After LCU seized a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning in the nightcap, ENMU closed to within one run on Burke’s two-run blast in the bottom of the inning
Ashley Lopez added a game-tying RBI single later in the inning
The Lady Chaps scored the next six runs and took a 9-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh
LCU relief pitcher retired Eastern’s first two batters of the inning, but two errors and a hit batsman loaded the bases for the Hounds
A third error in the inning for LCU allowed Precious Aguirre and Burke to score
Kamalani Peneku looped a two-run single in front of first baseman Megan Doufour, which landed and came to a stop just inside the foul line to make the score 9-7
After a Lopez single, Courtney Vigil’s RBI single scored Peneku from second base
Lopez batted 2-for-4 for the Hounds
KK Lopez-Lui drove in five runs for the Lady Chaps
Monique Francois tossed five innings to earn the win in relief for LCU

Game 1
The Lady Chaps sent 15 batters to the plate in the top of the first and seized an 11-0 lead
Peneku’s two-out single in the third inning gave ENMU its first baserunner of the game
After a two-run blast from Lindy Clemmer in the fourth inning, ENMU responded with a double from Vigil
Vigil scored ENMU’s first run on an error later in the inning
The Lady Chaps added eight runs in the top of the fifth
In the bottom of the inning, Kiana Zerr cracked a two-run blast for the second straight game
Eastern had six hits in the game
Francois tossed three innings to earn the win

Up Next
The Eastern New Mexico University softball team will head to UT Permian Basin to open a Lone Star Conference series
Friday’s single game will start at 5 p.m. MT