The Western New Mexico University softball team came together on Saturday to pull out two late-inning winnings to advance them further in the Schutt Sports/Division II Lead-Off Classic held in Phoenix, Arizona. The seventh-inning win came against Central Washington University, 6-5. The second was versus in-state rival New Mexico Highlands University, 4-3. In the third game of the day, the Mustangs couldn't muster enough energy to get the come-from-behind win against Fort Hays State University. FHSU beat WNMU, 7-2. The Mustangs finish the tournament 3-4. Overall, they enter RMAC play March 1 versus Metro State College with a 4-7 record.
CWU had the 2-0 advantage going into the bottom of the second, but an Antoinette Estrella (Glendale, AZ/Apollo High School) (Glendale, AZ) single, an error by CWU, and two walks put the Mustangs on the board. Senior Valerie Villela (Chandler, AZ/Mountain Pointe High School) (Chandler, AZ) kept the Mustangs going with a single of her own, which sent home two more. Katie Jo Castaneda (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad High School) (Carlsbad, NM) was able to get around the bases on the same play and tallied a run due to another CWU error at home plate, giving WNMU the 4-2 lead.
But CWU rallied back in the third with one run and a two more in the fifth.
It was the Mustangs last shot. With one out in the seventh inning, WNMU tied things up after the bases were loaded and Kaci Lewis (Olympia, WA/Olympia High School) (Olympia, WA) singled, allowing Villela to score.
With the bases still loaded, Stephanie Bisgard (Scottsdale, AZ/Coronado High School) (Scottsdale, AZ) hit a sacrifice fly to bring sophomore Rebecca Reynolds (Benson, AZ/Benson High School) (Benson, AZ) in with the winning run.
Villela finished with two hits, two RBIs, two assists, and one run. Estrella was perfect on the day with three hits on three at-bats.
Junior Priscilla Garcia (Albuquerque, NM/St. Pius X High School) (Albuquerque, NM) pitched all seven innings for the Mustangs. She gave up ten hits but only one walk.
In the second day of the game, head coach Scott Woodard had his first shot to beat former WNMU softball standout and now New Mexico Highlands University head coach Shellie Broyles. And he did but not without a few nervous moments.
WNMU had a 3-0 lead going into the fifth inning, but in the fifth, the Cowgirls combined for two runs and four hits. With the bases loaded, the Mustangs got a sigh of relief when second baseman Amanda DeMerritt (Granite Bay, CA/Granite Bay High School) (Granite Bay, CA) fielded the third out.
The Mustangs weren't in the clear yet. In the top of the seventh and two on base and one in scoring position, NMHU brought in the tying run with a single.
WNMU needed to answer. With two outs and senior Cory Usher (Monterey, CA/Monterey High School) (Monterey, CA) and Estrella on first and second respectively, Lewis singled, sending Usher home to win the game.
Villela, Usher, and Bisgard finished the second game of the day with two hits each. Estrella, at first base, also tallied nine putouts.
Garcia posted her second win of the day. She fanned four batters in her 6.1 innings pitched.
A rough second inning for WNMU gave Fort Hays State a win in WNMU's final game of the Classic. The Mustangs gave up six hits and five runs in the one inning. FHSU scored two more in the fourth and fifth before the Mustangs were able to answer with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth.
It was not about a lack of opportunity though. The Mustangs posted 11 hits. Fort Hays State had 13.
Lewis, DeMerritt, Bisgard, and Castaneda finished with two hits apiece.
Garcia pitched 4.1 innings and recorded the loss (3-4). Senior Jody Clark (El Paso, TX/Irvin High School) (El Paso, TX) pitched the remainder of the game and allowed only two hits and didn't cough up any runs.
Click here for complete statistics versus Central Washington University..
Click here for complete statistics versus New Mexico Highlands University.
Click here for complete statistics versus Fort Hays State University.
