Hounds take series against Midwestern State

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Eastern New Mexico University freshman Kaylee Rogers has been used to working, in a softball sense, long hours so far this season.

Rogers has thrown several games of 140 or more pitches this season, topped by the 161 she threw in a 9-7, eight-inning win over Midwestern State on Friday in which the Greyhounds rallied to win after blowing an early seven-run lead.

This time, there was no such comeback.

Rogers (9-6) tossed a five-inning one-hitter — using only 59 pitches, no less — as the Hounds completed a Lone Star Conference series win over the Mustangs and earned a Saturday split with an 11-0, run-rule win. MSU won Saturday’s opener 6-3.

First baseman Erikka Burke continued to pound the ball for the Hounds (13-14, 6-3 LSC), driving in four runs with a two-run homer in the fourth — her eighth of the season — and a two-run double in the fifth. Designated player Samantha Brockman and shortstop Susannah Chandler each went 3-for-4 while second baseman Kylee Keller, right fielder Kamalani Peneku and center fielder Ashley Lopez all had two hits and combined for five RBIs.

ENMU finished with 17 hits in the abbreviated contest.

Rogers pitched around two walks to start the second inning. The only other baserunner for the Mustangs (10-13, 3-6) came when center fielder Lauren Lindgren hit a one-out single to center in the third inning.

In Saturday’s opener, the Mustangs built a 4-0 lead after two innings before ENMU pulled to within a run in the third on a two-out RBI single by Peneku and a two-run single by catcher Courtney Vigil.

The Hounds weren’t able to add any more, though, and Midwestern State got insurance in the bottom of the sixth when left fielder Taylor Bermudes belted her first homer of the season, a two-out, two-run shot off Kiana Zerr (2-5).

ENMU stranded 14 runners, leaving the bases loaded in the second and fourth and two on three other times. Left fielder Cameron Conrad went 3-for-3 with a walk for the Hounds, who outhit the Mustangs 10-8, while Kylee Keller and Lopez each had a pair of hits.

Lindgren, who hit her fifth homer of the season in the second inning, and designated player Taylor Mordecai each has a pair of hits for MSU. Kelsey Knox (1-1) earned the win, going six innings, and Peyton Helton finished for her first save.

ENMU 9, Midwestern State 7, 8 innings (Friday) — The Hounds let an early 7-0 lead get away, but after MSU forced bonus softball with four runs in the bottom of the seventh ENMU answered with a two-run eighth.

Peneku led off the eighth with a double and scored when Chandler reached on a two-out throwing error by Mustangs shortstop Hannah Springs. Burke followed with a triple to plate Chandler.

It marked the third game in a row, all wins, that the Hounds had tallied nine runs on nine hits. Penuku went 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and a two-run single in ENMU’s four-run third, while Burke and third baseman Adriana Carabajal also had a pair of hits.

Rogers survived the 2-hour, 25-minute marathon, allowing 10 hits and nine walks and standing 10 MSU runners. Mustangs second baseman Misty Muniz tied it on a three-run homer, her third of the season, with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

MSU’s Peyton Helton (4-5) also went the distance, throwing 137 pitches and allowing nine hits with two walks and six strikeouts. All nine ENMU runs were unearned, the result of four Mustangs errors.