DENVER, Colo. --- The New Mexico Highlands softball team opened RMAC play with a 1-0 victory against Regis behind a stellar pitching performance from
Belinda Gonzalez before dropping the next game 11-0 while a third game is still in question after being called due to darkness Monday at Regis Softball Field.
Gonzalez tossed a three-hit shutout in game one, walking two and striking out two in seven innings of work to move to 1-2 on the season. She retired 17 of the final 18 hitters she faced. The Cowgirl defense was solid behind her, not committing an error.
The lone run of the contest came in the fifth inning when
Brooklynn DeLozier started the frame with a two-out double to left before
Victoria Mata singled to left to score DeLozier to make it 1-0.
Breanna Cabrera went a perfect 3-for-3 for the Cowgirls at the plate – all singles – with the only two other hits in the game for NMHU (1-5 overall, 1-1 RMAC) coming during the fifth-inning rally.
In the second game, Regis (4-4, 1-1) scored 10 runs in the first inning and added another in the fourth and run-ruled the Cowgirls 11-0 in five innings.
Camrynn Ziegler, Nicole Corriea and
Ashley Forshee (a double) had NMHU's three hits in the game.
In the third game, the Cowgirls found themselves down 9-2 enter the fourth inning before an eight-run outburst thanks to a DeLozier RBI single,
Desiree Madrid RBI walk, a two-run single by Ziegler, a two-run double by Cabrera, an RBI single from
Olivia Muniz and an RBI single by
Leah Osborn made it 10-9 Cowgirls heading into the bottom of the fourth.
But two walks, two stolen bases, a passed ball and an RBI single tied the game for the Rangers in the fourth before scoring a pair of unearned runs on two NMHU errors in the fifth to take a 12-10 lead.
The Cowgirls battled back and scored a run in the top of the sixth with one out on a Mata RBI single. NMHU still had the bases loaded down 12-11 with that one out when the game was called due to darkness. An official ruling on this game hasn't been determined and this story will be updated when it has.
Osborn was 4-for-4 with an RBI, two runs and a double for the Cowgirls in the third game, Ziegler was 3-for-4 with a double, three runs and an RBI, Cabrera was 3-for-4 with two RBI, a run and a double and DeLozier was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Forshee and Muniz were each 2-for-4 as well with Muniz adding an RBI and a run.
The Cowgirls hit the road again next week to take on Colorado School of Mines at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley on Saturday and Sunday.
