Zias earn split with Central Oklahoma

Freedom New Mexico

EDMOND, Okla. — Senior right-hander Kimberly Crouse pitched five shutout innings and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs Friday, helping Eastern New Mexico University’s softball team blank previously unbeaten Central Oklahoma 4-0 in the first game of a doubleheader.

The Bronchos (7-1) came back for a 3-1 win in the nightcap. The LSC teams scheduled the games after a weekend regional get-together was postponed by anticipated bad weather in Hays, Kan.

ENMU (4-9) is slated to play Missouri Western at 9 a.m. (MST) and a doubleheader against Northeastern State at 1 p.m. today at Del City High School in Oklahoma City.

The Zias blanked the Bronchos in all but one inning in the doubleheader. Helped by two ENMU errors, UCO scored all its runs in the third inning of the nightcap off freshman right-hander Brittany Widner (0-1).

ENMU got its run in the third off Molly Shivers (4-1), who started both games for the Bronchos. Alex Mayo Otis hit a one-out single, took third on a double by Rebecca Quinones and scored on Michelle Anderson’s sacrifice fly to center.

Shivers and Rachel Stevenson, who worked the final three innings for her first save, allowed only two other Zias hits. Mayo Otis finished the game 2-for-3.

Senior Kristen Cruickshank, who pitched two perfect innings in relief of Crouse (1-3) in the opener for her first save, took over for Widner after a leadoff single in the fourth inning of Game 2 and retired all nine hitters she faced.

Crouse singled, advanced to third on an outfield error and scored on Samantha Davis’ single to left for a 1-0 Zias’ lead in the second inning of the opener. Crouse singled home a run in ENMU’s two-run third, and hit a run-scoring infield single in the seventh to complete the scoring.