LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Cowgirls overcame critical errors to rally from a 4-0 deficit to take game one, but miscues proved to be their undoing as the Thunderwolves salvaged a win in game two as New Mexico Highlands (9-17, 4-11 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) won game one 5-4 (eight innings) before dropping game two 14-3 (five innings) to CSU-Pueblo (13-15, 9-7 RMAC) Sunday afternoon (March 22).
Highlands comitted three costly errors in the first two innings to spot the visitors four unearned runs and chase senior
Jessica Brink from the game, but the Cowgirls came back for three runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, two infield singles put a pair on. A groundout moved both runners into scoring position before sophomore
Gabby Hansell singled down the left field line to score a pair. When CSU-Pueblo threw home to try to get the lead runner, Hansell made a head's up play and took second. Junior
Marissa Valencia singled to score Hansell and cut the deficit to one.
Senior
Jacquelyn Wood (3-2) took over on the mound in the second and threw the final 6.1 innings, allowing only two hits and three walks.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Valencia swiped second. On the very next pitch, junior
Ka'uilani Kamai singled in the tying run.
In the bottom of the eighth, Wood singled up the middle and was sacrificed to second. Freshman
Destiny Navarro hit a grounder to third, but the third baseman tried to get Wood leaning off second. The ball sailed wide and all the way to the outfield fence as Wood scored the winning run to give herself the win in the circle. Wood finished the game 2-for-4 while Hansell had a pair of hits in three at-bats.
The Thunderwolves tallied four runs, all unnearned. Up 1-0 after one, CSU-Pueblo struck for three in the top of the second. A dropped fly ball and a misplayed sacrifice bunt attempt put the first two runners on. Both runners advanced on a groundout before a tag out was applied by sophomore
Katelyn Bates at home after a grounder for the second out. However, Sydney Bailey unloaded the bases with a double and scored on Dora Hernandez's single up the middle to open up the early 4-0 advantage.
Kelli Henry took the complete game loss for the Thunderwolves, allowing eight hits and five runs (four earned) in 7.1 innings pitched.
While the Cowgirls overcame several mistakes in game one, six miscues cost Highlands in game two. The Cowgirls allowed three runs (only one earned) in the top of the first but rallied for a pair of their own unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. Kamai began the inning reaching on an error and advanced to second on a single. Bates followed with a single to load the bases, but two-straight groundouts got a force out at home. Hansell singled down the leftfield line with two down to drive in a pair.
With the Cowgirls down 7-2 entering the fifth, the Thunderwolves began the inning with the first two batters reaching on an error that led to seven runs – but only two earned. Bailey had a two-RBI single, Chrystal Reese drove in two with a single, Hernandez and Kennedy Smith had an RBI double and Moriah Turney had a sacrifice fly in the frame.
Freshman
Michelle Brincefield took the loss in game one, allowing six hits and five runs (three earned) in 1.2 innings pitched. Madison Wolfe (6-5) got the win in relief, allowing four hits and one run in 3.2 innings of work.
The Cowgirls return to action next weekend (March 28-29) for the RMAC softball pod at Metropolitan State University of Denver. The Cowgirls will
