Zias drop twin bill to Adams State

CMI staff

Eastern New Mexico University’s softball team had chances late but came up short in both ends of a doubleheader against Adams State on Wednesday at Zia Softball Field.

After the Zias pulled even with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning in the opener, the Grizzlies put together a four-run seventh for an 8-4 victory. ENMU (6-18) then had a five-run sixth in the nightcap to close to 6-5, but two errors led to five unearned runs in the seventh and the Grizzlies won that one 11-7.

Katelyn Lovato hit a leadoff double and scored on Rebecca Lindquist’s one-out double to break the tie in the first game. Lizzy Shossow doubled in Lindquist and Erica Haugum added a two-run single off freshman Katie Ramsay (0-9).

Adams State’s Linda Hernandez (2-0) allowed seven hits and three earned runs in a complete game. Lindquist went 4-for-4 in the opener and added another hit in Game 2 to raise her season’s average to .542, while senior left fielder Melanie Alderette had two hits in the first game for the Zias.

ENMU led 3-1 with single runs in each of the first three innings, including Ramsay’s second home run of the season in the first and catcher Aurelia Sandoval’s fourth round-tripper in the third. Adams State (8-12) moved in front with three in the sixth, capped by Haugum’s game-tying RBI grounder which also brought in the go-ahead run on a boot by third baseman Cassie Beene.

Alderette tied the game in the bottom half with a two-out, opposite-field RBI single to left.

Haugum’s two-run homer, her fourth, off ENMU freshman Amy Smith (3-7) highlighted a three-run sixth which gave the Grizzlies a 6-0 lead in Game 2. The Zias then chased ASC’s Mariah Skaggs (2-1) in the bottom half with three hits and three walks, pulling to 6-4 on Josette Aguirre’s two-run double and getting within a run when Aguirre scored on a wild pitch by reliever Michelle Leyba.

The Grizzlies batted around in the seventh, thanks in large part to two dropped throws by the Zias’ infield on potential force plays. Lovato’s two-out, two-run triple capped the rally.

ENMU came back with two in the bottom half on RBI singles by Sandoval and Amanda Lale, but Leyba nailed down her first save by getting Lizzy Velasquez for the final out on a pop-up to shortstop.

Second baseman Kayla Roberts went 3-for-3 for ASC, which had 10 hits. Eight players chipped in to the Zias’ nine-hit attack, with shortstop Melissa Reynosa going 2-for-2 with a walk.

ENMU returns to Lone Star Conference action this weekend with a three-game series at Incarnate Word, beginning with a 3 p.m. (MDT) twin bill on Friday.