Double setback leaves Hounds in tough spot

ODESSA, Texas — Eastern New Mexico University’s softball team put together a late-season winning streak to get back in the hunt for a berth in the Lone Star Conference tournament, but those hopes took a big hit on Sunday when the Greyhounds were swept by Texas-Permian Basin 4-1 and 6-4.

ENMU (17-29, 8-20 LSC) had won seven of eight coming in, including a doubleheader win at Western New Mexico on Friday. The Hounds are currently tied with UTPB (21-28, 8-20) for 12th place, one game behind St. Edward’s (18-24, 9-19) and Texas A&M International (16-33, 9-19).

The top 10 of 16 teams get into the single-elimination tourney, and ENMU may be looking at having to sweep rival West Texas A&M (27-14, 16-12) in Saturday’s final regular-season twin bill at Greyhound Softball Field to have a chance to qualify.

UTPB senior right-hander Becky Berth (5-9) threw a four-hitter in Sunday’s opener, and the Falcons broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run fifth, getting two on a double by junior Aracely Ariaza and one on a two-bagger from junior Leslie Martinez.

Sophomore Brook Leger (10-14) went 4 2/3 innings for the Hounds, allowing seven hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.

In the second game, the Hounds chopped a 4-0 deficit to one with three runs in the top of the third on RBI singles by senior Sierra Wooley, shortstop Jokaira Paredes and designated player Jennifer Gress. But UTPB responded with back-to-back homers from sophomore Mia Quintero and junior Sydney Bishop in the bottom half, and junior Destini Trahan (8-11) settled in for a complete-game seven-hitter.

ENMU 9-7, Western New Mexico 2-6 (Friday) — At Silver City, the Hounds pulled out the second game with three runs in the top of the seventh, capped by a two-out, two-run double from Wooley.

With one out in the seventh, sophomore Azalea Martinez hit her third home run of the season to pull ENMU to 6-5. Then junior Maite Bustillos beat out an infield hit before Parades drew a two-out walk.

Wooley, who helped the Hounds beat Midwestern State with a grand slam on April 9, followed with a double down the left field line to score both runners. Freshman Lisette Urquidez, who went the first three innings in the circle, returned to pitch the bottom of the seventh and got the Mustangs (5-37, 2-26) out to lock it up.

In the opener, Leger cruised through 6 1/3 innings for the win, permitting six hits and striking out 10. The only damage for Western came on a two-run homer by first baseman Bryana Munoz in the fifth inning.

ENMU broke it open with a four-run third, featuring a two-run double by Wooley and freshman Kianna Galindo’s third homer of the campaign, a two-run shot. Paredes added a solo homer in the seventh, and Martinez and second baseman Edyn Lopez each added RBI doubles.

Lopez finished 3-for-3 with a walk while Wooley was 3-for-4 as the Hounds collected 13 hits.