LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday to CSU-Pueblo, 16-2 and 2-1, at Cowgirl Field.
In the second game, runs were at a premium as the game was scoreless heading into the bottom of the fourth before
Leah Osborn led off the inning with a home run to left field to give the Cowgirls (4-11, 4-7) a 1-0 advantage.
But the ThunderWolves (3-13, 2-10) answered in the top of the fifth with a two-out rally that included four consecutive singles to give CSU-Pueblo a 2-1 lead.
The Cowgirls wouldn't get a runner past third base the rest of the game.
Belinda Gonzalez picked up the tough-luck loss, going the distance and giving up two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks. NMHU had just five hits in the game with
Camrynn Ziegler leading the way – going 2-for-3 to go along with a stolen base.
In the first game, an eight-run third inning and a four-run fourth inning by the ThunderWolves put the game out of reach for the Cowgirls as they lost 16-2 – with both runs for NMHU coming via CSU-Pueblo errors.
NMHU had four hits with Osborn,
Desiree Madrid,
Nicole Correia and Ziegler all hitting singles.
Brianna Velasquez got the loss, going 2.1 innings and giving up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
The teams conclude the four-game series with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Sunday at Cowgirl Field in Las Vegas.
