Silver City, N.M.- Last Saturday the Western New Mexico University softball team was able to come away with a split against the Metro State University Denver (21-11, 16-4 RMAC) winning the first game, 10-5, but falling short in extra innings in the second game, 9-8.
With a scoreless first inning, Mustangs opened up on their hitting scoring four runs in the second. Two runs came from a Krystal Castillo triple down the left field line which brought home Ariana Maldonado and Alicia Enriquez who were standing on first and second base. The other two runs came for Linzy Granger who squared up a two-one pitch and homered to left, putting the Mustangs on top 4-0.
WNMU kept momentum rolling into the third inning offensively. Lacy Granger started the inning off with a double and was soon brought home by a Yasmeen Gastelum single. With bases loaded, Enriquez took ball four which scored Gastelum, making the score 6-0.
It was not until the top of the fourth where MSU Denver scored their first run on a fielding error by Western New Mexico to make the score 6-1.
It did not take long for the Mustangs to answer back. In the bottom of the fourth, Lacy Granger flied out but Mariangela Garcia tagged up on third and extended the lead, 7-1.
Another run scored by the Roadrunners in the fifth, but the Lady Mustangs quickly answered back in the bottom half of the inning thanks to an Enriquez double to bring in Maldonado, making the score 8-2.
Liberty Nelson for MSU Denver came up big in the sixth inning as she homered to left and brought in three run to cut the deficit, 8-5.
WNMU kept their cool as Enriquez stepped up to the plate and doubled to right bringing in Maldonado and Lacy Granger, making this the final run of the game. The Mustangs went on to take the victory of the first game 10-5.
Ten Lady Mustang hits were driven in, while the Roadrunners came away with eight. MSU Denver’s Cassidy Smith drove in three hits, while Nelson brought in three RBI’s.
Enriquez led the way offensively for WNMU as she went three for three and batted in four runners.
Junior Doni Shone, now 10-8, pitched the whole game giving up eight hits and five runs.
In the second game, the Roadrunners found themselves offensively, putting up three runs in the first innings and another in the second making it a 4-0 lead.
This lead was cut in half, 4-2, in the bottom of second when Mustang’s Maldonado drove in a two run homerun.
In the top of the fourth, MSU Denver was able to bring in two more runs, extending the lead 6-2.
Pinch runner Breanna Aker was able to come in for a WNMU run in the fifth thanks to a throwing error by the Roadrunners, making the score 6-3.
The Lady Mustangs were able to put together five runs in the sixth innings, putting themselves in the lead 8-5. Brooklyn Misenhimer started the inning off right with a double then a throwing error brought her in for the first run. Another throwing error by MSU Denver allowed Maldonado and Moreno to score. The last two runs of the innings came from a Lacy Granger who singled to left, bringing in Garcia and Gastelum.
The Roadrunners did not go away so easily in the seventh inning as they drove in two batters by groundouts to knot the game up, 8-8.
In bottom of the seventh, WNMU were unable to put together the game winning run making the game go into extra innings.
A Roadrunner batter was able to get to second base in the eighth on a fielding error. The runner was able to score on an Annika Anderson single, putting themselves back on top 9-8.
The Lady Mustang were unable to drive in any runs in the bottom half of the inning, giving MSU Denver the victory, 9-8.
WNMU outhit MSU Denver 16-11 and committed less errors 1-4.
Three Mustang players came away with a three-hit game: Garcia, Moreno, and Maldonado.
For the Mustangs, starting pitcher MaryJo Granger (1-6), pitched four innings, allowing four hits and three runs. Tiana Salazar came in to relief, pitching four innings, while allowing seven hits and six runs.
Hayley Fields (12-3) for the Roadrunners pitched 7.1 innings, giving up sixteen hits and six runs.
The Western New Mexico University softball team (16-19, 12-8 RMAC) will be on the road this weekend as they will square off against Colorado Christian University and UC-Colorado Springs.
