SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico softball team snapped a 16-game losing streak in a big way on Saturday as the Hounds swept Western New Mexico in a doubleheader by scores of 7-5 and 7-2.
By getting a pair of wins, the Greyhounds (12-24, 8-16 Lone Star Conference) were able to move into a tie for eighth in the LSC Standings with Texas Woman’s, a team the Hounds swept in a three-game series earlier this season. In the opening game, senior pitcher Kimberly Herron was able to swing momentum to Eastern’s side as she induced a double play to face the minimum in the first inning. In the Hounds’ half of the second, Adriana Carabajal reached on a double to center and then came around to score on a Haleigh Behncke RBI single to center for the first score of the ballgame. The Mustangs (5-29, 4-20 LSC) put together a major threat in their half of the inning as the first two batters reached second and third with no one out, but Herron was able to get out of the jam by retiring three of the next four batters on pop ups, keeping WNMU off the board. In the top of the third, Eastern was able to extend its lead. Kayla Marshall and Elysa Rodriguez reached with singles and both advanced into scoring position off a Western error. Two batters later, Samantha Brockman was able to knock both in with a two RBI bunt single to make it a 3-0 game. Herron was able to get the Greyhounds out of another jam in the bottom of the third when Western New Mexico loaded the bases with two outs, but again was able to induce a pop up to end the threat. The Mustangs were able to break through by scoring on an error in the fourth, but Eastern was able to get the run back in the fifth after Rodriguez hit a leadoff bunt single, stole second and third before reaching home on an RBI popup by Brockman to extend the Eastern edge to 4-1. Western was able to get a run back in the bottom of fifth, but Eastern answered back with three runs in the sixth on an RBI double to left by Lauren Likes and a two-run homer by Emma Gary to give the Greyhounds their largest lead of the ballgame at 7-2. Western scored three more of their own in the sixth to cut the Eastern edge to 7-5, but reliever Hanna Gary was able to come in the seventh and shut the door on the Mustangs comeback. The Greyhounds recorded their seven runs on nine hits with just one error while Western tallied its five runs on 11 hits and committed four errors. Rodriguez led the ENMU bats, going 3-for-4 with two runs and two stolen bases. Brockman tallied three RBIs after slashing 1-for-3 and Emma Gary notched two RBIs with her pinch-hit home run. Herron picked up the win in the circle, throwing six innings and giving up five earned runs on 10 hits with four walks. Hanna Gary earned the save after pitching a scoreless seventh, giving up just one hit. In the second game of the doubleheader, Eastern opened the scoring right away in the top of the first inning. After Marshall drew a leadoff walk, Brockman drove her in with an RBI double to left to make it a 1-0 game. The Greyhounds added one more in the second inning with as Emma Gary came around to score on an error after a leadoff double to extend the Eastern edge to 2-0. ENMU added one more in the third as Emma Gary drove in Iliana Mendoza with a single to the left center field gap, stretching the Hounds’ lead to three. Western New Mexico started to rally back with a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 3-2, but the Hounds responded with a run in the sixth on a Hanna Gary RBI single to right center, plating Behncke to make it a 4-2 ballgame. The Eastern bats added some big time insurance in the seventh, tallying three runs on an RBI single by Emma Gary, a Jennifer McElroy RBI sac fly, and a Likes RBI double to pull away with the 7-2 win. The Hounds got their seven runs off of 10 hits while committing just one error while the Mustangs scored their two runs on seven hits and an error. Hanna Gary picked up the win in the circle with one of her best starts of the season, throwing a complete game and giving up just two earned runs on seven hits with one walk and a strikeout. The Gary sisters led the ENMU bats in the second game as Emma Gary slashed 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run while Hanna Gary went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. By winning both games of the Saturday doubleheader, the Hounds have won three straight Lone Star Conference series against the Mustangs as well as 10 of the last 11 games since 2009. The Hounds will return home next week for their final home series of the season against nationally 21st-ranked Tarleton State from Apr. 18-19. Eastern will open the series with a Thursday night game scheduled for 6 p.m. and will return on Friday for a Senior Day doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. |