Las Vegas, NM – The New Mexico Highlands softball team used a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning and a rally in extra frames of the second game to earn an RMAC double-header split with Regis on Saturday. The visiting Rangers took game one, 7-6. The Cowgirls outscored Regis 9-8 to take the back end of the twin bill.
Regis struck first in game one by tallying a lone run in the first inning on a two-out single by Jade Loe. The Cowgirls pulled even on a fielding error by Regis first baseman Shayelyn Allen of a
Tamia Yellowman ground ball, scoring
Savannah Pineda Chavez.
Carlee Gonzalez gave the lead to Highlands, 3-1, on a home run to right center after
Taylor Fish singled.
Rangers rallied in both the fifth and seventh innings to put Regis on top 7-3 with one last chance for the home team.
Yellowman and
Camrynn Ziegler both singled to spark a rally in the last inning for New Mexico Highlands.
Brooklynn DeLozier stroked a single to left that was misplayed by outfielder Jade Loe allowing both runners to score. DeLozier scored one batter later on a
Megan Gutierrez sacrifice fly. Regis reliever Kara Rodeheaver slammed the door shut with a ground out and a fly out to cut the Cowgirl rally short with a final score Regis-7, New Mexico Highlands-6.
Ziegler and Gonzalez (2 RBI) each recorded two hits for the Cowgirls.
Nathalie Blattmann (0-3) took the loss, striking out three and surrendering 13 hits.
The Cowgirls also found themselves down early in game two as the Ranger pushed across four runs in the first two innings.
Regis starter Megan Loveland kept the Cowgirls in check until Yellowman showed some life in the bottom of the fifth inning with a single up the middle. Ziegler followed with a single. After a DeLozier groundout advanced the runners to second and third,
Megan Gutierrez walked to load the bases to set up some Fish magic. The freshman first baseman blasted a Loveland offering over the fence in left-center for a grand slam, knotting the game at four apiece.
Neither team could score in the final two innings of regulation, pushing to extra innings.
Regis put together a rally in the top of the eighth, plating four runs highlighted by a 2-RBI double by Katherine Raper, making the score 8-4. Freshman reliever Cassidy Muñoz put a stop to the inning getting her only hitter to line out the second.
Fish came up big again, this time starting a Cowgirl rally with a leadoff single through the right side. A Gonzalez walk and a Regis error allowing
Samantha Gamboa to reach loaded the bases once again NMHU. Pineda Chavez brought the Cowgirls within three with an RBI-single up the middle, scoring pinch runner
Brooke De La Garza. Next up
Paige Varni walked, scoring Gonzalez making it 8-6. Yellowman followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring Gamboa. Ziegler capped the rally when her single allowed Pineda Chavez to score and tie it up at 8-8.
Both teams went scoreless in the ninth inning and Highlands relief pitcher
Nathalie Blattmann held the Rangers scoreless in the tenth. Pineda Chavez led the bottom of the tenth off with a triple to right-center. Then Varni smash a shot to the shortstop's backhand that allowed Pineda Chavez to score the game winner.
Blattman (1-3) earned her first win of the season in relief, allowing one hit over two innings. Ziegler led the Cowgirl offense, going 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Both Fish and Pineda Chavez tallied two hits. Fish also head four RBI with her grand slam.
New Mexico Highlands Head Coach
Kevin Jannusch said he's starting to notice a trend. "In every game so far, we just keep hitting. We've been able to take some quality at-bats up and down the line-up," the first-year coach commented. "That builds confidence that is impossible to teach. All credit goes to our hitters." He also thought is pitching staff showed poise. "Both Nathalie and Paige show signs of having quality starts. Today it was Nat showing improvement. Cassidy also got a big out for us in relief that ended a rally. We just need to dodge one or two shaky innings."
The Cowgirls and the Rangers will continue the series tomorrow morning with a double-header schedule to start at 11:00 am.
GO COWGIRLS!!
