Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SILVER CITY, N.M. – All the Western New Mexico University softball team needed was some home cooking. The Lady Mustangs cooked up a pair of one-run wins Saturday in a sweep of Regis University, 8-7, and 5-4, in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


In the opening game, Regis University (RU) was ready out of the gate, quickly scoring five runs in the first two innings for a 5-0 lead.


Western New Mexico University (WNMU) would come back to tie and take the lead with seven unanswered runs. The rally started in the second with Mary Othon (Tucson, AZ/Desert View High School) coming home on a single to left by Aimee Vasquez (Ruidoso, NM/Ruidoso High School). The third inning saw three come home, with Othon delivering two with a double that hugged the left field line and into the corner to score both Alicia Enriquez (Gilbert, AZ/Mesquite) and Kale Gahn (Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle High School). Mariah McDonald (Silver City/Silver City High School) sent a fly ball just deep enough to right in the next at-bat that scored Tessa Fanning (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union) on the sacrifice fly leaving WNMU behind by one, 5-4, after three.


The Lady Mustangs tied the game with an unearned run in the fourth, with Stephanie Higgins (Escondido, CA/Mission Hills High School) scoring on an errant throw by the third baseman.


WNMU (5-12, 2-4 RMAC) continued the pressure in the fifth, with McDonald and Vasquez opening the inning by getting on base. After a catcher's interference, Higgins drove in one of the runs on a sacrifice fly to center and later an error by the first baseman on a missed catch from the shortstop scored Vasquez leaving WNMU in front, 7-5, through five.


Domi Shone (Gold Canyon, AZ/Mesquite) kept RU (1-14, 0-4 RMAC) off-balance in the circle, as after RU scored five off of her through the first two innings, she kept them off the scoreboard from the third through the sixth. The Rangers scored two in the seventh, both unearned, to tie the game at seven.


WNMU walked off with the victory in the home-half. With Shone on with a one out walk, Samantha Munoz (Peoria, AZ/Centennial) grounded out to third to move her to second. Higgins then hit a ball towards third that was misplayed allowing Shone to come home with the winning run.


Both teams posted 10 hits, while RU committed five errors, to two for WNMU. The Lady Mustangs were led in hits by Fanning, Othon and Vasquez, all coming away with two hits apiece. Rachel Illia led RU with three hits.


Shone picked up her fourth win of the season (4-5), going all seven innings, allowing five earned runs, along with two strikeouts and one walk. Nicole Hull came on in relief for the Rangers and was saddled with the loss (1-4), going 2.2 innings, giving up three unearned runs. WNMU scored six unearned runs in the game.
In the nightcap, hits were harder to come by as the teams combined for 10. RU broke through with two runs in the third for the early 2-0 advantage.


In the home half of the inning, WNMU went to work. Higgins opened the inning with a home run to left. A pair of walks followed and then after a two fielder's choice groundouts, errors made for a big inning. McDonald reached on an error by the left fielder that brought home Fanning. Vasquez followed with a hit to second that was misplayed allowing Othon and McDonald to score for the 4-2 lead through three.


 Another RU error led to WNMU's fifth and eventually winning-run in the fifth. Gahn opened the frame with a single and after a strikeout, a single moved both runners up. An error on the third baseman scored Gahn leaving WNMU ahead, 5-2.


RU would fight back in the sixth. A leadoff single and a two-run home run followed marking the Rangers runs in the sixth and pulling them to within one, 5-4.
That would be as close as they would get, with BreAnna Eaker (Ramona, CA/James Madison) able to control the rest of the game in the circle for WNMU, getting three straight outs in the sixth and then after a caught stealing made for the first out in the seventh, a strikeout and groundout ended the contest.


WNMU led in hits, 6-4, with Gahn and Othon going for two apiece. Eaker went all seven innings to pick up her first win (1-4) of the season, as all four runs were earned, while she struckout six. Hull took the loss in game two as well for the Rangers (1-5), coming on in relief going 4.1 innings, as the five runs she gave up, only one was earned.


WNMU and RU will conclude their four-game series with another doubleheader Sunday with first pitch set for 11 a.m. at the WNMU Softball Field.