SILVER CITY, N.M. – Colorado Mesa University rallied to take the first game in extra innings and then took the second game defeating the Western New Mexico University softball team, 10-8 (eight innings) and 10-3, Saturday in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
WNMU (14-19, 11-11 RMAC) started early in the first game, with Mariangela Garcia (Tucson, AZ/Desert View) connecting on a solo home run for the 1-0 lead after one inning. The lead extended to three in the third inning. Davi Martin (Silver City, NM/Silver City) led off with a single and would later come home on an RBI double by Linzy Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad). Garcia followed with a double to the same spot in right-center to score Linzy Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) and give WNMU a 3-0 lead after three.
CMU (20-15, 16-5 RMAC) scored their first runs with two in the fourth. The Lady Mustangs then exploded in the home half of the inning. With one out, Samantha Munoz (Peoria, AZ/Centennial) doubled, which was followed by a walk to MaryJo Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) and single by Martin to load the bases. Alicia Enriquez (Gilbert, AZ/Mesquite) took the first pitch to center for a double to score two. A wild pitch would then score both Martin and Enriquez, before closing the inning with an RBI single through the left side by Thailyza Ramirez (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) for the 8-2 lead after four.
The Lady Mavericks wouldn’t go away, scoring three runs in the fifth and then coming back in their last at-bat to score three on a home run by Zoe Pakes to tie the game at eight and send the game into extra innings.
In the eighth, CMU came through with a two out bunt single that kept the inning alive for Makayla Kovac as she came through with a double to bring the run in. They would add one more to take a 10-8 lead. WNMU would get a runner on in their half of the inning, but that would be all with CMU taking the victory.
WNMU outhit CMU, 14-10, with all nine batters in the Lady Mustang lineup coming through with a hit. Martin tallied three to lead the way. Enriquez and Garcia added two RBI apiece. Kovac and Pakes led CMU with three RBI each. In the circle, Brooke Hodgson started for CMU, then later re-entered in the seventh to get the win after going five innings and allowing eight earned runs. Mikalya Austin tossed all eight innings for the Lady Mustangs and ended up with the loss (5-8), while adding eight strikeouts.
In the second game, CMU plated a pair of unearned runs in the first inning to take the early advantage. WNMU responded with a run in the home half with a dropped fly ball in left resulting in a run scoring leaving the Lady Mavericks ahead, 2-1, after one.
CMU tallied three more in the second and then two in the third to open a 7-1 lead. In the home half of the third inning, Garcia opened with a double and after a Higgins double moved her to third, she came home on a sacrifice fly by Ramirez making it 7-2.
Trailing 9-2 in the bottom of the sixth, a fielding error allowed WNMU to score their final run of the game, as CMU would post one more in the seventh to take the 10-3 victory.
CMU held a 15-12 advantage on hits with Garcia recording three hits and two each by Higgins, Munoz and Martin. In the circle, Rochelle Talamantes picked up the win for CMU going six innings and allowing one earned run. MaryJo Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) went all seven innings, as she re-entered for Breanna Aker (El Mirage, AZ/Apollo), and ended up with the loss (5-7) allowing six earned runs and had five strikeouts.
WNMU and CMU will wrap their four-game set on Sunday beginning with another doubleheader at 11 a.m.
