The Eastern New Mexico softball team finished the first day with a 1-1 record in the St. Mary’s Softball Classic following a dominating 8-0 win over New Mexico Highlands in game one and a tight 9-8 loss at the hands of Drury in game number two.

The Hounds needed just six of the scheduled seven innings to take down New Mexico Highlands thanks to a stellar outing from senior pitcher Kimberly Herron, who went all six innings and posted the second complete game shutout of her career going all six innings and surrendering just five hits. Eastern New Mexico jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the second game against Drury, but conceded six runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning to fall by a 9-8 final score.

Herron picked up her second win of the young season in game number one thanks to a rock-solid defense that committed no errors throughout the game and made put outs on all 14 balls that were put into play. Kayla Marshall, Iliana Mendoza and Karina Moreno all had multi-hit games, while eight different Hounds reached home plate throughout the game.

Eastern struck early against New Mexico Highlands with back-to-back doubles from sophomore Jennifer McElroy and catcher Samantha Brockman in the top half of the first inning. McElroy came around to score on the Brockman double, while Brockman in turn reached home thanks to a miscue in the Cowgirls outfield on a dropped two-out fly ball from Hanna Gary.

Herron kept Highlands off the board on their next three trips to the plate before another string of doubles, this time from Gary and Rodriguez, that increased the lead to 3-0 after Gary stepped on home plate. Lauren Likes continued the rally with the bases loaded and no outs, scoring Rodriguez from third despite grounding into a double play.

Gary continued to put the ball in play in the top of the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Haleigh Behncke, who reached base as the leadoff batter thanks to an error by New Mexico Highland’s third baseman. Eastern piled on the remaining three runs needed in order to enforce the run rule thanks to another costly error from New Mexico Highlands that allowed Mendoza and eventually Moreno to come around and score.

Marshall scored from third on a passed ball to record the eighth run of the game for the Hounds and set the stage for Herron to come on and complete the game in the bottom half of the sixth. Herron struck out two batters in the game while Marshall went 2-for-4 in her lead-off role and scored and drove in a run along the way.

Marshall continued to produce at the top of the line-up in the second game of the day, coming around to score after a walk and single through the right side in her first two plate appearances against Drury. Marshall, Behncke and Brockman all scored twice throughout the contest while Brockman went 2-for-3 and was hit by a pitch to reach base in three of her four appearances.

McElory also recorded two hits in game number while the Eastern offense stayed hot and recorded 11 hits despite being outdone by Drury in the bottom half of the sixth inning.
Eastern New Mexico will continue play tomorrow afternoon with games against St. Edward’s at 11:15 a.m. and St. Mary’s at 6 p.m.