Softball Jose Montoya
PORTALES, N.M. – The Lone Star Conference softball season is officially here as Eastern New Mexico heads to San Antonio for a three-game series against No. 19 St. Mary’s. Before the two teams tangle on Friday and Saturday, please take a look at the Four Bases:
1.) First Base – A’s All Around: ENMU went 5-2 over a five-day span last week thanks to a true team-effort. Two players who stepped up in big ways offensively for the Hounds were Alondra Vasquez and Azalea Martinez. The junior from the Dominican Republic, Vasquez, leads the team with four homers. Three of her dingers came over the last week where she went 8-for-20 at the plate with four doubles and a single. She drove in ten runners and walked six times. Martinez impressed going 10-for-23 with a pair of walks. She connected on three homeruns, including a grand slam on Saturday. The senior from Albuquerque posted four doubles, a triple, and a whopping 14 RBI’s. She has 17 RBI’s on the year – leading the LSC over the first two weeks of the season.
2.) Second Base – Sunday Sweep: The Hounds roll into San Antonio on a two-game winning streak after earning a pair of wins over Fort Lewis Sunday. In game one, Brook Leger paced the Greyhounds as she pitched a complete-game five inning, shutout victory. The senior from Albuquerque notched her third shutout of the season, which is tied for the lead among conference pitchers. The 8-0 results would not have happened without a handful of big at-bats and smart base running from ENMU. Martinez, Jokaira Paredes, and Katelyn Cifuentes each had RBI doubles. Vasquez also hit one of her three homers in the fourth inning to plate three runs for Eastern. In game two, Emma Southerland came in relief and pitched six scoreless innings to aid her team to a 3-2 victory.
3.) Third Base – High Marks: Eastern New Mexico enters Friday’s series ranked first among LSC teams in three different categories. The Hounds lead both the NCAA DII and conference with 67 walks this year. They also are tops in the league with 11 total sacrifice bunts and eight hits by pitch. The team is second among LSC programs in the following categories: doubles (28), hits (102), on-base percentage (.452), and total runs (84).
4.) Fourth Base – Rattle the Rattlers: St. Mary’s comes into the weekend as the No. 19 team in the country. They completed a weekday doubleheader Wednesday night against DIII No. 4 Texas Lutheran. StMU split the contests winning 8-5 before falling 5-0 in the second game. Pitching is the notable strong suit for the Rattlers two weeks into the season as they carry a combined 2.05 ERA from four different arms. Madeline Bloom holds a 0.35 ERA over five appearances and 20.1 innings of work. Her teammate Catalina Cavazos is the primary starting pitcher for the staff as she has posted six starts over 11 games in 2023. She has struckout 31 batters and is 5-1 in the circle for her team.
The games will be livestreamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network. Friday’s doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. MT and Saturday’s series ender will take place at 12 p.m. CT.
