Hounds split wild twin bill with TWU

Despite Texas Woman’s University having the second-best record in the Lone Star Conference and ENMU at the bottom, the Hounds showed they can compete with anybody in the conference as they split a doubleheader with TWU Friday afternoon with a 5-4 comeback win in the first game and had a comeback fall short in the nightcap, a 9-8 loss.

Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth, ENMU (13-37, 4-22 LSC) got their first to batters on base via walks. Then came first baseman Erikka Burke’s single to load the bases. Catcher Kyra Sirag got the rally started with an RBI after beating out a throw that was mishandled by Texas Woman’s shortstop which allowed ENMU to tie the game.

With ENMU’s dugout in full rally mode, shortstop Susannah Chandler then took the first pitch she saw to left field that let Sirag race from second base, sliding into home safely and completing the comeback.

Staff photo: Matthew Asher

ENMU shortstop Susannah Chandler tags out Texas Woman’s Laura Mabary on an attempted steal in the top of the sixth during the opener of Friday’s Lone Star Conference softball doubleheader at Greyhound Softball Field. Chandler got the game-winning hit in a three-run ENMU rally in the bottom of the eighth for a 5-4 victory, while the Pioneers held on to win 9-8 in Game 2.

ENMU coach Katie Welborn was ecstatic after the game, telling her team “Phenomenal freaking game. I’m so proud of you. That’s how the Hounds play.”

A few minutes later, a composed Welborn explained the speech, noting Texas Woman’s University (29-17, 17-9) was just announced as the No. 3 team in the first NCAA Division II South Central Regional poll,

“They have the ability to always play to this level,” she said. “We’re down to 12 players but when I’ve got pitching like this and hitters are relentless, that’s how we play and that’s how they can play every game. Texas Woman’s is regionally ranked. They’re a phenomenal team. I have the utmost respect for them. We know we can play with just about everybody.”

ENMU pitcher Kiana Zerr pitched the entire game for the Hounds, having little trouble in the early innings as she allowed just one run through the first six innings but began to strugle in the seventh an eighth innings as TW started off the seventh with a solo home run by Katy Stephens on the first pitch she saw to tie the game at 2.

“That was a screwball,” Zerr said regarding the pitch. “It was a right-handed batter so it was an inside pitch for her. I thought it was really far in, when I saw her hit it I thought, ‘Dang.’”

Zerr didn’t lose confidence and continued to pitch well and her defense did enough to limit the damage anytime TW had a chance for a huge rally.

“We’ve been playing really good defense as a team,” Zerr said. “Today we were hitting. We had runners on (the bases) and we advanced them around. A good overall team win. We just need to carry them over. We’re starting to believe in each other now. We’ve all got each other’s back and it’s coming together well.”

One such time where the defense bailed Zerr out happened in the top of the fourth. The Pioneers led 1-0 and had runners at second and third with just one out. Stevens had a chance to add to TW’s lead but hit a foul ball near first base where Burke calmly caught the ball to give ENMU two outs. Zerr then forced the next batter to fly out to second base, stranding both runners and keeping the game within one run.

“I just had to make sure I get it because I didn’t want them to get ahead even more,” Burke said of the foul out. “That was a crucial play. When you get easy fly balls you have to make sure you get them so there’s no more mistakes because it leads to (more problems). I was really happy beacuse this is our seniors’ weekend, the last home games for them. I thought it was important to get this W for them.”

Burke was also responsible for ENMU’s first two runs as she hit a two-run homer over the left field fence in the sixth inning to give ENMU their 2-1 lead.

WT head coach Genny Stidham declined comment.

In the second game, ENMU kept even with TWU through the third inning. Then in the fourth, the Pioneers started to build a lead as they scored three runs, while the Hounds were limited to just one. TWU would add to their lead scoring four total runs in the fifth and sixth inning but ENMU wasn’t simply going to quit, putting up five runs in the sixth inning but unable to score the game-tying run in either the sixth or the seventh inning.

Chandler had the hot bat for the Hounds in the doubleheader as she went a combined 6-8 with 4 RBIs and one double, including 4-for-4 in the nightcap.

The teams return to the field on Saturday for one more doubleheader with the first game scheduled for noon.