Eastern New Mexico softball finished the first day of the Cactus Classic with two wins in the book.
The Greyhounds started out tournament play against Simon Fraser University (BC) taking a 5-4 win.
Bottom of the first with Andrea Cline up to bat the Hounds recorded their first run of the game as Cline sent Elysa Rodriguez home. The Hounds continued to record one run in the next two innings while both teams left the fourth inning scoreless. Simon Fraser posted four runs in the top of the fifth to gain their first lead of the game, but the Hounds were ready to respond as the Rodriguez and Cline combination at the top of the lineup went back to work. Once again Rodriguez got on base and a Cline hit sent Rodriguez home. Juliana Vidal pinch ran for Cline on the double and would score the Hounds second run of the inning thanks to a sacrifice fly by Jennifer McElroy.
In their next contest of the day, the Hounds took a 7-5 win over the regionally ranked Colorado Mesa Mavericks in eight innings. Both teams went scoreless through the first few frames before the Mavericks put a run on the board in the bottom of the third. Two home runs from McElroy and Tianna Boone gave the Hounds their first runs of the ballgame and the first lead of the contest as well at 3-1.
Colorado Mesa quickly responded with a two-run homer of their own in the bottom half of the frame to even the score up at 3-3. Both teams failed to take the lead in the sixth before freshman Brianna Loyola led off the top of the seventh with the third Greyhound home run of the game, giving the Hounds a 4-3 advantage.
In the top of the eighth with the bases loaded Rodriquez had yet another hit up the middle sending Mikenzey Patterson home, but the play wasn’t done yet. A missed throw by the Mavericks gave Rodriguez an advance to second while Mendoza took third. Mendoza took advantage of a wild pitch by Colorado Mesa scoring the Hounds sixth run of the contest. Paredes stepped up to bat and grounded out to the shortstop, allowing Rodriguez to take her first run of the game, third of the day.
Jordan Bowman started as pitcher for the Hounds and pitched the first four innings of game one. Bowman recorded four hits for four runs and two strikeouts before Lauren Avalos took over. In her first time pitching as a Greyhound, the freshman recorded the win against Simon Fraser pitching 2.2 innings with no hits or runs.
Brook Leger, another freshman pitcher, took to the circle against Colorado Mesa and pitched all eight innings. Leger finished the day with eight hits for five runs and eleven strikeouts. Rodriguez finished the day with seven at-bats, three runs and two RBI’s. Cline recorded three RBI’s and three hits all in one game.
The Greyhounds will continue in the Cactus Classic tournament today with a match up against the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Lindenwood. The Hounds will finish the tournament on Sunday against California University of Pennsylvania and Southern Nazarene University.
