LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Cowgirls raced to a 4-1 lead in game one and held on for the 4-3 win, but the Zias took game two, 5-2, as New Mexico Highlands (13-19) split with visiting Eastern New Mexico (16-18) Wednesday afternoon (April 1).
Up 2-1 after solo home runs by senior
Jessica Brink in the second and sophomore
Gabby Hansell in the third, the Cowgirls broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth. Two singles around a sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position before sophomore
Katelyn Bates provided a two-run single. Eastern New Mexico countered when Morgan Green hit a two-run bomb in the top of the sixth, but the Zias could not tie the game.
Brink (7-8) improved to 7-2 in her last 10 starts, going the distance and allowing six hits and three runs (two earned). Bates had two hits in as many at-bats with two RBI's.
The Zias loaded the bases in the first with a walk, a fielder's choice which did not produce an out and a hit by pitch but came up empty. Two critical Highlands' errors in the second threatened to blow the game open, but Brink kept it to only one unearned run. Green – who finished with a triple and a home run in three at-bats with two RBI's and two runs scored – led off the inning with a triple. After a pop up, Marleyna Pinon popped up a bunt that was dropped to allow Green to score. Another error put a pair in scoring position, but Brink got the groundout and the strikeout to limit the damage.
Green added the two-run home run in the sixth. Kyra Sirag doubled with two outs in the seventh to put the tying run on, but Brink won the battle of the 11-pitch at-bat against Susannah Chandler to end the game.
Aja Secheslingoff fell to 11-12 in the circle for the Zias, allowing seven hits and four runs in four innings of work.
Game two saw the Cowgirls fall in a 5-0 hole. However, Highlands brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the fifth.
Ka'iulani Kamai led off with a solo home run followed by singles by senior
Jacquelyn Wood and freshman
Destiny Navarro. Navarro then stole second, but a groundout on the infield got the out at first and then home to end the inning.
Freshman
Michelle Brincefield took the loss, falling to 4-5 by allowing six hits and four runs (three earned) in four innings of work. Wood had two hits and a run scored in game two.
Doubles by Sirag and Chandler came around to score in the second, but three runs and a critical error opened the floodgates for the Zias in the top of the fifth. Green doubled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Emily Velasquez's single. Two fielder's choices put two down, but a single and an error led to a two-run single by Audrey Velasquez.
Chandler led the Zias with two doubles in three at-bats with a run scored and an RBI. Vanessa Ramirez improved to 3-1, allowing two runs on six hits for the complete-game win for the visitors.
The Cowgirls return to action Friday (April 3) at noon against Adams State for "Strikeout Cancer" day. People who attend are asked to donate money for admittance, which will be given to the American Cancer Society.
