Hounds post 4-1 mark in WT Invitational

CANYON, Texas – It was a good weekend for the Eastern New Mexico University softball team in the West Texas A&M Invitational.

ENMU posted a 4-1 record, completing its outing in the event with a pair of wins on Sunday over Fort Lewis, beating the Skyhawks 8-0 in the first game and 3-2 in the finale. The Greyhounds (8-4) rallied past New Mexico Highlands in their opener on Friday, then edged Colorado Mesa before losing to the Cowgirls in Saturday tilts.

Senior Brook Leger improved to 6-0 for the season with a five-inning, four-hit shutout in the opening tilt, shortened by the eight-run rule. She walked no one and struck out four.

Meantime junior catcher Alondra Vasquez broke it open in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run home for a 5-0 lead.

An RBI fielder’s choice and a run-scoring double by senior Azalea Martinez got the Hounds on the board in the second. They ended it in the fifth with three more runs, coming on an RBI double by senior shortstop Jokia Paredes and a two-run double by junior third baseman Katelyn Cifuentes.

Leger worked one inning in Game 2 against the Skyhawks (2-5), giving up a two-out, two-run homer to left fielder Catheryn Rodman after an error. The Hounds promptly tied it in the bottom of the first when Martinez drew a one-out walk and rode home on the second round-tripper of the day and fourth of the campaign for Vasquez.

Sophomore right-hander Emma Southerland took over in the second and tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits with no walks and three strikeouts. The Hounds got the go-ahead run on back-to-back, one-out doubles in the third by Vasquez and freshman first baseman Ashley Nickerson.

ENMU begins Lone Star Conference action on Friday with the opener of a three-game series against St. Mary’s in San Antonio.

Saturday – The Hounds held on late for a 10-9 win over defending Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion Colorado Mesa, but lost to Highlands 8-7 when the Cowgirls answered ENMU’s six-run fifth with seven in the bottom half.

Against the Mavericks (2-5), ENMU erased a 4-2 deficit with a five-run fourth, highlighted by a two-run pinch-hit single from freshman Marissa Rodiguez, and carried a 10-5 lead into the seventh before holding on.

The teams combined for seven home runs, including five for Mesa and three for right fielder Riley Crouch, who knocked in five runs.

Leger worked 4 1/3 innings in relief of Southerland for the win, giving up eight hits and five runs, including two homers. She got the final two outs in a four-run seventh to strand the tying run at second.

Leger also drove in three runs with a pair of singles, while the Hounds got solo homers from Southerland, her first, and Martinez, her third.

ENMU broke a 1-1 tie against the Cowgirls with a six-run fifth, including a solo home run by Nickerson and a grand slam by Martinez. Highlands (4-3) came back in the bottom half against Rodriguez and sophomore right-hander Taylor Harrison (1-1), with four of the seven runs unearned as the result of a pair of Hounds errors.

Nickerson and Parades each had a pair of hits for the Hounds.