Hounds end losing streak

PORTALES - For a program trying to build, the start of the Lone Star Conference season has been a gauntlet for Eastern New Mexico University's softball team.

With Friday's twin bill against Texas A&M-Kingsville, the Greyhounds had opened the league slate with consecutive doubleheaders against five teams ranked in NCAA Division II's top 25.

That stretch ended on Sunday, when the Hounds (9-19, 2-10) split a pair against Texas A&M International at Greyhound Softball Field. They lost 12-0 before winning 4-1 in Game 2 behind sophomore right-hander Brook Leger - their first win all-time in 10 tries against the Dustdevils.

ENMU snapped a nine-game losing streak in the nightcap, and had lost 16 of 17 overall prior to the win. Now the schedule begins to turn, and first-year coach Amanda Fefel is hoping her team can begin a move up the standings.

"We started out great," Fefel said after Friday's sweep by Kingsville, referring to three season-opening tournaments in which the Hounds posted seven wins in their first 10 games. "For us, the biggest thing is depth. After Brook, we struggle a little bit (in the circle)."

Even with their limited roster, the Hounds have generally been fairly competitive against the top teams. They have some good pieces in place - they just need to add a few more.

To that end, Fefel said the team has already signed nine players for next season.

"We're still looking for two more arms (pitchers)," she said. "We're at least competing. We're able to take the games deeper and give ourselves a chance."

Not so much, though, in Sunday's opener against the Laredo-based Dustdevils (9-22, 3-9). Junior right-hander Darrian Smith (8-7) gave up a leadoff single to ENMU left fielder Maite Bustillos in the first, but she was gunned down trying to steal and Smith finished with a five-inning one-hitter, facing the minimum 15 batters and striking out seven.

Smith also did plenty of damage at the plate, going 3-for-3. Smith, third baseman Alex Hernandez and first baseman Victoria Gonzales combined to go 8-for-9 with three RBIs apiece.

In Game 2, Leger (8-8) labored in the first inning, but escaped unscathed and went on to retire 20 of the final 22 hitters. The exception came in the fifth inning when left fielder Christina Garcia doubled with two out and scored on second baseman Melanie Gamboa's triple, but that was it.

Leger, the conference leader in strikeouts (133), kept the Dustdevils at bay despite getting just three in this one. Meantime, freshman first baseman Lisette Urquidez sparked a four-run first against International's Victoria Gonzales (0-6) by knocking in a pair with a double to right-center.

"I think things will get better," Fefel said. "It's just going to take time."

The Hounds travel to St. Mary's on Friday and St. Edward's on Sunday for LSC doubleheaders.

Kingsville 10-13, ENMU 0-2 (Friday) - The ninth-ranked Javelinas (24-5, 8-4), who were swept at No. 6 West Texas A&M 8-7 and 8-2 on Sunday, knocked Leger out after two innings in Friday's opener, building an 8-0 lead as first baseman Matisen Onofrei belted a three-run homer in the first and a two-run single in the second. After the latter hit, catcher Kaylee Dietrich followed with a three-run blast.

Right-hander Beth Montes (9-1) allowed only a hit-by-pitch and a fourth-inning single to sophomore center fielder Azalea Martinez in tossing a run-rule-shortened complete game.

Dietrich whacked a three-run homer and third baseman Aaliyah Ortiz drilled the next pitch out as well as the Javelinas scored eight times off three ENMU hurlers in the top of the first in Game 2. In the bottom half, ENMU's Mikenzey Patterson tripled leading off and shortstop Jokaira Parades squeezed her in before Urquidez belted her sixth home run with two out, but Javelinas right-hander Carissa De Los Santos (5-0) shut out the Hounds the rest of the way.

Urquidez got the final two outs of the first and blanked Kingsville until the sixth, when the Javelinas finally chased her by scoring five times on six consecutive hits after the first two hitters had been retired.

Center fielder Jory Cervantes led a 17-hit Javs attack by going 5-for-5 with five singles - including two bunts and two other hits of the infield variety. Four others had a pair of hits.