SILVER CITY, N.M. - To put themselves in contention for a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament berth, the Cowgirls need to win its second-straight series on the road. They did just that.
New Mexico Highlands (19-25, 13-18 RMAC) held on to win game one 10-7 before using only five innings for a 14-2 win in game two Sunday (April 19) at Western New Mexico (20-27, 17-19) to take 3-of-4 from the Mustangs in Silver City, New Mexico, this weekend.
"Game one was a slugfest and we were able to come out on top as
Jessica Brink did a good job holding off Western's hitting," head coach
Karin Gadberry explained. "Jacki had a great game two holding them to two runs.
"All weekend we had great at-bats throughout the lineup. This was a team effort to win this series," Gadberry added.
With the Cowgirls already up 3-0 after two in game two, a key error opened the floodgates for nine runs. Senior
Jessica Brink, who picked up the win in the circle in game one to improve to 11-10 on the season, began the marathon with a single. Junior
Jacquelyn Solis followed with a single before junior
Marissa Valencia doubled home a run. A throwing error by the Mustangs allowed another run to score and junior
Dekota Monarrez to reach. A single by junior
Ka'iulani Kamai loaded the bases and senior
Jacquelyn Wood drew a walk for the third run of the inning.
The scoring did not stop there. Freshman
Destiny Navarro, who hit a grand slam in game one, singled in a run as the Cowgirls played station-to-station softball. Junior
Ashton Borunda grounded out for an RBI that should have been the last out of the inning, but the Cowgirls added on a trio more. Brink walked to reload the bases before Solis singled for the second time in the inning to plate a pair of runs. Valencia doubled for the second time in the frame to score the eighth and ninth runs to put the cap on the inning. Those were Valencia's only hits in four at-bats as she scored a run and plated three in the inning.
Navarro was 3-for-4 in game two with three RBI's and a run scored. Wood improved to 3-4 on the season, allowing eight hits and two runs in five innings of work for the complete game.
The Mustangs scored a pair on RBI, two-out singles by both Mariangela Garcia and Stephanie Higgins in the bottom of the fifth. Despite only throwing one inning, Breanna Akers fell to 1-5 by allowing two hits and two runs in two innings pitched.
Game one was a wild affair with the Cowgirls racing out to a 6-1 with a five-run third. Navarro hit a grand slam, her fifth of the season, for four runs. With two outs and no one on, Solis singled, advanced to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch.
After Western New Mexico pulled within 6-5 after three, the Cowgirls used unearned runs to score four over the final three innings. In the fifth, Solis doubled, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a groundout. In the sixth, Kamai and Wood hit back-to-back doubles. A fielding error moved Wood to third and then a throwing error scored her to open up a 9-7 lead. Valencia added an insurance solo home run in the seventh.
Wood went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. Brink gave up 12 hits and seven runs, five earned, for her second complete game win of the weekend.
Despite being down 6-1, Western New Mexico tied the game at both six and seven. In the bottom of the third down by five, three-straight singles loaded the bases with no outs. MaryJo Granger hit a one-out, two-RBI single before an error moved both runners into scoring position. Krystal Castillo plated a pair more with a single to bring the home team within 6-5 after three. Linzy Granger tied the game with a solo home run in the fourth.
The unearned run put the Cowgirls back up 7-6 after the top of the fifth, but in the bottom of the fifth, Linzy Granger hit an RBI triple to retie the game at seven. She finished the game 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI's.
MaryJo Granger (6-10) took the loss in relief in game one, allowing five hits and four runs (three earned) while throwing the final three innings in the game.
The Cowgirls finish up the regular season at home with a key four-game set with Colorado School of Mines, beginning with a key doubleheader next Saturday (April 25). The Orediggers are currently 12th in the RMAC.
