ST. GEORGE, UTAH – The Western New Mexico University softball team ran into a tough defensive battle in the first game against Hawaii at Hilo, falling 3-0. To conclude the day, the Lady Mustangs faced a hot offense as MSU-Billings took the 16-4 win in five innings Saturday during the second day of the Dixie State Tournament.
Similar to the way WNMU (3-11) left off Friday playing a close defensive battle, that was the case in the first game Saturday versus Hawaii at Hilo. The Vulcans (7-5) held the slight 5-4 advantage in hits and scored two runs in the third and another in the fourth to provide the difference.
The Lady Mustangs looked ready to strike right from the start. Junior
Linzy Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) walked and sophomore
Mariangela Garcia (Tucson, AZ/Desert View) singled. A pop out and fly out followed to end the threat.
After the Vulcans posted their runs to take the 3-0 lead, WNMU made things interesting in the final two innings. In the sixth, senior
Krystal Castillo (Silver City, NM/Silver City) walked and with two outs, Garcia singled. Once again, a fly out ended the threat.
In the seventh, Junior
Lacy Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) opened the inning with a single. Freshman
Clarissa Moreno (Tucson, AZ/Desert View) singled to put runners at first and second without an out. A fielder's choice and then a pair of strikeouts ended the inning and the game.
Senior
MaryJo Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) logged the first 4.2 innings in the circle and gave up the three earned runs on five hits to end up with the loss (0-5). Redshirt junior
Domi Shone (Gold Canyon, AZ/Mesquite) went in for the final 1.1 innings and was solid again not allowing a single base runner and added a strikeout.
Derleth countered for the Vulcans and she went all seven innings to pick up the victory and added seven strikeouts.
Garcia led the offense with two hits. Aquinaga had a two-hit game for the Vulcans, while Garcia drove in two runs.
In the second game against MSU-Billings (5-7), the first inning provided seven combined runs. The Yellow Jackets opened the game with three runs on four hits. WNMU then went to work in the home half, taking advantage of an error along the way.
Linzy Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) opened the frame with a single. Following an out, senior
Thailyza Ramirez (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) reached on an error. After a fielder's choice out should have been the final out in the inning, the Lady Mustangs collected four runs. Moreno walked just in time for freshman
Yasmeen Gastelum (Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle) to single home the first run. Sophomore
Madison Jones (Lakewood, CA/Lakewood) walked with the bases loaded to bring in the second run. Freshman
Bailey McFarland (El Paso, TX/JM Hanks ) singled to right for the third run and then junior
Breanna Aker (El Mirage, AZ/Apollo) capped the inning with an RBI single to move WNMU to the 4-3 lead.
MSU-Billings exploded for six in the second and never looked back. They went on to add two in the third and five more in the fourth to open up a 16-4 lead.
The Lady Mustangs threatened in the second with
Lacy Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) on via a walk and a single by Moreno with two outs, before a ground out ended the inning. WNMU collected two hits in the third with singles by Jones and McFarland, but an out on the bases, along with a ground out and fly out stalled the inning.
The Yellow Jackets outhit WNMU, 17-7. McFarland led the offense with a pair of hits, while Gastelum, Jones, McFarland and Aker all had RBI. Cassinellu led MSU-Billings with three hits, while Prince and Dettling drove in three runs apiece.
Tokach went all five innings for the Yellow Jackets allowing one earned run. Shone (1-6) took the loss for WNMU going three innings and allowing seven earned runs with a pair of strikeouts.
MaryJo Granger (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) tossed the final two innings giving up four earned runs and added a strikeout.
WNMU will wrap-up the Dixie State Tournament tomorrow (Sunday) morning against host No. 2 Dixie State at 10 a.m. The game will have live stats.
