Silver City, N.M.- The Western New Mexico University softball team was able to pull out a last inning comeback win over UC-Colorado Springs last Friday to come away with the win 6-5. WNMU would then wrap up their week against Colorado Christian in the second game but came up short 6-2.
After a scoreless first inning by both teams, UCCS was able to put up three runs in the second and two more in the third. The Mustangs soon saw themselves in a quick 5-1 hole in the bottom of the fourth inning.
However, the Lady Mustangs slowing kept climbing their way out of the deficit as they scored one run in the fifth thanks to a Yasmeen Gastelum homerun. Another run came in the sixth when Lacy Granger drove the ball to right field which scored Mariangela Garcia who was standing on second base to make the score 5-3.
In the top of the seventh, WNMU quickly started the inning with an Ariana Maldonado single to left field. Alicia Enriquez came up to bat next and took a 2-2 pitch to left for a two run homerun, which knotted the game up 5-5. The sticks did not stop there as Linzy Granger came through with a single then advanced to third on Garcia single. Thailyza Ramirez for the Mustang drove in the go-ahead run to bring in Granger to give themselves the lead 6-5.
Tiana Salazar stepped in to relieve in the seventh and had no trouble retiring the three outs for the WNMU as they came away with the victory 6-5.
Overall, both teams earned 11 hits each along with two errors from WNMU.
Leading the way offensively was Enriquez, Garcia, and Linzy Granger who all drove in two hits each.
Nikki Hoffman led team in hitting for UC-Colorado Springs as she posted two hits and two RBI’s.
Mustangs starting pitcher, Domi Shone, pitched three innings, giving up five runs, three of which were unearned. Salazar (6-4) was the one who came away with the win, as she pitched four inning allowing no runs and only four hits.
In the second game, the Lady Mustangs struggled offensively, while Colorado Christian University kept the lead the entire game with their 13 hits.
The Cougars took a quick 2-0 lead in the second inning, but the Mustangs answered back in the bottom of third. Maldonado stepped up to the plate and earned herself a double. Two outs later, Linzy Granger batted Maldonado in with her single to left to cut the deficit, 2-1.
Momentum rolled into the fourth for the Mustangs as they were able to tie the game up, 2-2, thanks to Brooklyn Misenhimer’s homerun.
From then on it was the Cougars as they brought in three runs in fifth and another in the sixth to seal the victory, 6-2.
WNMU was limited to only six hits, two of which came from Linzy Granger as she led the team in hitting.
For the Mustangs, senior MaryJo Granger (1-8) pitched all seven innings, allowing 13 hits and six earned runs. For the Cougars, Diffenderfer (4-6) also pitched all seven innings and gave up six hits and two runs.
The Western New Mexico University softball team (17-22, 13-11 RMAC) will be back in action this Saturday and Sunday as they square off against Colorado State University-Pueblo.
