ENMU clinches spot in LSC softball meet

PORTALES – Eastern New Mexico University’s softball team almost had its spot in the Lone Star Conference softball tournament clinched before it took the field on Friday night.

The Greyhounds received a bit of help from rival Western New Mexico, which took the opener of Friday’s twin bill at Texas Woman’s 2-1, then lost the nightcap by the same score in the bottom of the seventh.

That meant ENMU needed just one win in its three-game home set with Texas A&M-Kingsville, and the Hounds got it with a come-from-behind 4-2 win over the Javalinas at Greyhound Softball Field. ENMU (25-27, 17-23 LSC) will make its first trip to the 10-team event, scheduled for next week at LSC champion Texas-Tyler, since the 2002 campaign.

The teams were originally scheduled to play two on Friday and one on Saturday, but instead pushed Friday’s start time back two hours due to iffy weather conditions and scheduled the final two tilts for Saturday.

“I just think they worked so hard,” second-year Hounds coach Amanda Fefel said after the contest. “Changing the face of the program has been huge. It’s like rewriting the history books for this program.”

TWU (25-28, 17-25) came into the weekend a game behind ENMU in the standings, with the Hounds also holding the tiebreaker. The Pioneers needed either a sweep or a series win and help from Kingsville (22-25, 19-20) to get the final slot.

Sophomore right fielder Aylene Lucero delivered a two-run double off the left field fence with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth, narrowly missing a grand slam. Then, after a walk and a forceout at home, junior shortstop Valeria Contreras whacked a two-run single against Javelinas right-hander Beth Montes (11-9).

ENMU senior right-hander Brooke Leger (13-7) then worked 1-2-3 in the seventh to finish off a complete-game seven-hitter. The Hounds are locked into the 10th seed, and may well meet Kingsville again in a first-round game on Thursday.

The Javelinas scored an unearned run off Leger in the second inning, then went up 2-0 in the sixth on an RBI double by catcher Matisen Onofrei.

Montes carried a three-hitter into the bottom of the sixth, but gave up singles to senior right fielder Mikenzey Patterson and freshman first baseman Ashley Nickerson before designated player Alondra Vasquez beat out a bunt to load the bases.

After a pop-up, Lucero lined her double to left field, also sending pinch-runner Jennifer Gross to third. A walk to senior Azalea Martinez reloaded the bases, and pinch-hitter Emma Southerland bounced into a forceout at home before Contreras hit an 0-1 pitch into center field to score Lucero and Martinez.

ENMU collected eight hits of Montes, including two each by Nickerson and Lucero.