Rambelles take series with 4-1 victory

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Angelo State made the most of five hits on Saturday and the Rambelles defeated Eastern New Mexico University 4-1 to take their Lone Star Conference softball series.

ENMU (17-16, 9-12 LSC) had ended a 15-game losing streak against Angelo on Friday in the second game of a doubleheader, but the Greyhounds were unable to build on that success in the finale.

Junior right-hander Genesis Armendariz (12-5), who is from Hobbs, earned her second win of the weekend, allowing seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

ENMU threatened in the seventh as senior Brook Leger and junior Taighen Whitzel opened the frame with singles and moved up on a one-out wild pitch. Armendariz, though, was able to get pinch-hitter Alondra Vasquez on a line-out to third and freshman Marissa Rodriguez on strikes to end it.

Sophomore Ashton McMillan’s third homer of the season leading off the second broke the scoring ice, and the Rambelles (20-12, 12-9) added two in the third when senior third baseman Paxton Scheurer doubled home a run and scored on a triple by senior Bailey Martinez.

The Hounds broke through in the fifth when freshman Ashley Nickerson singled to right-center with two outs, stole second and scored on a double to right-center by junior catcher Alondra Vasquez. ASU got it right back, though, when senior Ashlyn Lerma beat out an infield hit, stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored on Scheurer’s groundout to short.

Scheurer was the only player on either side with more than one hit, going 2-for-4. Junior Emma Southerland (4-2) went 2 1/3 innings in the circle for ENMU, and was followed by sophomore Taylor Harrison and Leger.

Of note, neither team was charged with an error in the entire series.

The Hounds opened a three-game conference series at Greyhound Field with rival West Texas A&M on Tuesday with a single game. The teams are scheduled for a noon doubleheader today.

This weekend, the Hounds visit Texas-Permian Basin for a 1 p.m. (MDT) single game on Saturday and a doubleheader on Sunday.