Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Cowgirls exploded for 27 hits and 21 runs as the New Mexico Highlands softball team (9-19, 5-14 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) won 9-6 in game one and 12-6 in game two over Black Hills State (1-16, 1-11 RMAC) Saturday afternoon (March 29) in Spearfish, S.D.
The Cowgirls landed a four-run punch in the first of game one, but the long ball put the Yellow Jackets up 5-4 briefly after two innings. Scoring most the day on timely singles, doubles and even triples, sophomore
Amber Cordero corked a round tripper to dead center with a runner on to put Highlands up 6-5 after three.
Cordero finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI's and a run scored.
The Cowgirls never trailed the rest of the game as they added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth. With one out, junior
Tori Gil singled and scored on sophomore
Dekota Monarrez's double. Monarrez had a hit in both at-bats for the game with three RBI's and two runs scored, crossing the plate later in the fifth on an error.
Junior
Jessica Brink took to the circle for the Cowgirls, improving to 4-9 on the year while allowing six runs and nine hits while striking out eight.
The Cowgirls opened the game with four runs. Junior
Jacquelyn Wood led off the game with a four-pitch walk, redshirt freshman
Annie Reynolds singled and Gil loaded the bases when she was hit by a pitch with one walk. Monarrez and freshman
Katelyn Bates both played station-to-station baseball with RBI singles before senior
Dominique Padilla plated a couple of runs with a two out single.
Five of six runs by the Yellow Jackets came on the long ball. Katie Campo hit a three-run home run in the first while Katherine Drake added a two-run shot in the second. Kaitlin Farrar fell to 0-5 in the circle for Black Hills State, allowing 10 hits and nine runs (seven earned) over 6.1 innings pitched.
Game two saw Black Hills State score a run in the first on a trio of infield singles. Through two innings, it looked as if the game may be a pitcher's duel before Highlands erupted for six runs in the third. Sophomore
Aylissa Lujan and Wood led off the frame with singles before Monarrez emptied the bases with a double. Brink added a one-out, RBI single. Monarrez singled and Padilla grounded out to put a pair into scoring position with two down. However an error opened the flood gates.
After Padilla grounded out, Black Hills State thought the inning was over and threw to third base. Brink scored on the misplay and Monarrez went to third. Junior
Amber Harding plated another run on a single before Cordero scored on an error by the left fielder.
Nia Shumpert hit a triple with a runner on and scored on an error to bring Black Hills State within 7-5 after four, but the Cowgirls added a single run in the fifth and four in the sixth to blow the game open.
With one on and one out, Brink and Monarrez singled to load the bases. A groundout scored one run before a walk by Cordero reloaded the bases. Harding unloaded the bases with a three-RBI double.
Wood improved to 5-7 on the year with the win for the Cowgirls, allowing six runs (five earned) with 11 hits in the complete game win. Savanah Eckhardt took the loss for the Yellow Jackets, giving up six runs (four unearned) and 10 hits in 2.2 innings pitched.
The Cowgirls and Yellow Jackets wrap up the four game series Sunday (March 30) with a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m.
