Pioneers capture series

DENTON, Texas – Texas Woman’s senior right-hander Alyssa LeBlanc pitched her second complete game of the series and the Pioneers defeated Eastern New Mexico University 7-3 on Monday to win the three-game Lone Star Conference set.

The games were originally slated for Tuesday and today, but due projected thunderstorms during that time in the Denton area they were moved up a couple of days.

LeBlanc (10-10) shut out the Greyhounds until the sixth inning, finishing with a five-hitter, five walks and eight strikeouts. Meantime, five players contributed two hits apiece to TWU’s 13-hit attack against four ENMU hurlers.

Texas Woman’s (19-25, 17-16 LSC) posted six RBI singles and a sacrifice fly.

Junior catcher Samantha Gutierrez hit a run-scoring single in the sixth for the Hounds (21-20, 14-19), while senior third baseman Alondra Vasquez doubled home two more in the seventh. LeBlanc then retired the next two hitters on a foul-out and a strikeout to end it.

TWU broke through on a run-scoring hit by junior left fielder Vivica Hernandez in the second, then got third-inning RBI singles from senior right fielder Makana Morton, freshman shortstop Piper Morton and senior catcher Delaney Boley to chase ENMU starter Jordan Rivera (4-3) and open a 4-0 lead.

Singles by sophomore first baseman Tylar Lane and freshman second baseman Callie Bailey and a sacrifice fly by sophomore third baseman Ciana Rodriguez completed a three-run fifth.

Bailey, LeBlanc, freshman designated player Elizabeth Smith and the Mortons all had two hits for the Pioneers, while Vasquez went 2-for-4 for the Hounds.

ENMU returns to action with three games in Oklahoma City against Oklahoma Christian, starting with a 1 p.m. (MDT) twin bill on Saturday.

TWU 9-3, ENMU 3-6, 2nd game 11 innings (Sunday) – ENMU never in trailed Game 2, finally pulling it out in the 11th with three runs on a pinch-hit RBI single by senior Cecy Jurado, a throwing error and senior shortstop Victoria Contreras’ sacrifice fly.

Both starters went the distance, with ENMU sophomore Marissa Rodriguez allowing seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts and TWU junior Jaycie Hall (4-7) giving up 11 hits, five earned runs and two walks with six strikeouts.

The 11 innings for Rodriguez was a personal high and tied a program set by Kimberly Crouse on May 1, 2010, also against TWU.

ENMU got two hits apiece from senior left fielder Aylene Lucero, junior catcher Samantha Gutierrez and junior first baseman Grace Rofii, and two RBIs each from senior Taighen Whitzel and Contreras.

Whitzel led off the eighth with her 10th home run of the campaign to give the Hounds a 3-2 lead, but TWU promptly tied it as freshman pinch-hitter Hawwa Townsend led off with her first home run.

In the opener, ENMU jumped on top on a first-inning sacrifice fly by senior Alondra Vasquez and Whitzel’s two-run single in the third, but the Pioneers scored five runs after two were out in the bottom half against Hounds junior Emma Southerland (9-9), with senior shortstop Makana Morton putting TWU in front with a grand slam on a 3-2 pitch.

Junior left fielder Vivica Hernandez then capped a three-run fifth with a two-run double before senior pitcher Alyssa LeBlanc blasted her eighth home run of the year.

LeBlanc tossed a five-hitter, striking out eight and walking none. Senior right fielder Mikenzey Patterson went 2-for-3 and scored twice for the Hounds, while Morton finished 3-for-3 with a walk for the Pioneers.