Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LAS VEGAS, N.M. – In the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference home opener for the Cowgirls, there could not have been two contrasting games. After blasting its way to a 7-0 victory in game one, the New Mexico Highlands softball team (5-10, 1-5 RMAC) fell to Regis (5-11, 4-2 RMAC) 16-6 in game two.
In the first game, Highlands put the pedal on the gas, never letting up. In started from the very first at-bat of the day for the Cowgirls, when redshirt freshman
Annie Reynolds pushed the count full and lined the sixth-pitch of the at-bat over the left centerfield wall. Reynolds would go on to add her second home run of the day to nearly the same spot, a three-run shot in the top of the second.
After Reynolds solo shot in the first, junior
Jacquelyn Wood walked and moved to second on a groundout. Freshman
Katelyn Bates added the RBI double to put the home team up 2-0. Highlands led 5-0 after Reynolds three-run bomb in the second.
The Cowgirls added single tallies in both the fifth and sixth. Junior
Tori Gil led off the fifth with a solo home run while Wood led off the sixth with a single and scored on a two-out, RBI double by starting pitcher junior
Jessica Brink.
Wood led the Cowgirls with a hit in each of her three at-bats, scoring a pair of runs and also reaching on a walk. Reynolds had two bombs in four at-bats with four RBI's and two runs scored. Brink improved her record to 2-5 on the year, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out six for the complete-game win.
However, the Cowgirls may have gotten a spark from its defense in the top of the first. With one down, Carlie Sexton singled and advanced to second when Alyssa Finger walked. Brink then got a strikeout, but Taylor Wilcox hit a two-out single. However, sophomore
Aylissa Lujan came up throwing for the Cowgirls and gunned out Sexton at the plate to end the inning.
Britney Lee took the loss for Regis in game one, allowing four hits and five runs (four earned) with one walk and a pair of strikeouts in two innings.
Game two started with an unearned run for the visitors in the top of the second and the Cowgirls never caught up. Sam Talmich tripled down the right field line before scoring on a throwing error. Finger added a two-run home run in the third with an RBI walk by Dominique Ortiz.
In the circle for the visitors in game two, Nicole Hull (4-2) went seven innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on 11 hits with four walks and seven strikeouts for the complete game win.
The Rangers led 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and nobody on,
Dominique Padilla singled over the head of the shortstop. Reynolds and Wood singled to load the bases before senior sophomore
Dekota Monarrez cleared the bases with a double.
Both teams failed to score in the sixth before a long seventh saw Regis plate eight runs. In the bottom of the inning, the Cowgirls answered with three runs of their own. Wood drove in a run when she reached on an error. Sophomore
Amber Cordero added an RBI walk and senior
Theresa Duncklee had an RBI single.
Wood took the loss in game two, falling to 3-3 on the season. She allowed seven runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks with one strikeout over 3.2 innings pitched.
The Cowgirls return to action tomorrow (March 2) with another twinbill against Regis beginning at 11 a.m.
