LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands softball team got a fantastic effort from
Belinda Gonzalez in the circle to take game one against Fort Lewis 6-0 before dropping the second game of the doubleheader 14-5 on Saturday at Cowgirl Field.
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Gonzalez tossed a shutout for the Cowgirls (7-18, 6-13) in the series opener as she held the Skyhawks (11-28, 6-20) to just two hits as she struck out three and walked just one ā facing just three batters over the minimum.
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The Cowgirls got all the offense they needed during a three-run inning that included RBI singles from
Camrynn Ziegler and
Desiree Madrid. NMHU added another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from
Brooklynn DeLozier and two more in the sixth on a two-run home run by
Haley Rodriguez.
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Olivia Muniz led the Cowgirls at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double and a run.
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In game two, the Cowgirls fell behind 11-0 after three innings before a pair of runs scored on a Fort Lewis error in the bottom of the third and an
Ashley Forshee three-run homer in the fourth made it 11-5. That's as close as NMHU got as the Skyhawks added three more in the sixth to run-rule the Cowgirls, 14-5.
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Forshee finished 2-for-3 with the home run and three RBI while DeLozier went 2-for-3 with a double and a run.
Brianna Velasquez picked up the loss, going three innings and giving up 11 runs on 11 hits with four walks and a strikeout.
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NMHU and Fort Lewis conclude the series with a doubleheader starting 11 a.m. Sunday.
