Softball Plays Tight Opening LSC Game at Eastern N.M. Behind Strong Start by O’Neill

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PORTALES, N.M. – After being delayed a day in starting the Lone Star Conference season, the Western New Mexico University softball team played a tight game right out of the gate against Eastern New Mexico University. Backed by a strong start by sophomore Thalia O'Neill (Bloomfield, NM/Bloomfield), the Lady Mustangs were within a run the whole game, but just fell short 2-1 in the opener. The Greyhounds then exploded in game two to take the 9-1 five inning victory to sweep the conference doubleheader Saturday.

O'Neill did all she could, as she went all six innings in the opener, allowing just one earned run, along with a pair of strikeouts. The only problem was, Leslie Reyes matched her for the Greyhounds as she went all seven innings to claim the win (4-3), along just one unearned run.

WNMU (1-11, 0-2 LSC) opened the scoring in the first inning. After junior Ariana Maldonado (Albuquerque, NM/Cibola) singled, senior Aryana Gutierrez (Glendale, AZ/Deer Valley) reached on an error. Following a pair of outs, freshman Grisdey Paredes-Alvarez walked to load the bases for redshirt sophomore Clarissa Moreno (Tucson, AZ/Desert View). She also worked a walk and pick up the RBI as Gutierrez scored. That ended up being the only run, as a fielder's choice groundout followed to end the inning.

ENMU (7-5, 2-0 LSC) even things up in the second when an RBI groundout to second left the game tied at one after two.

WNMU threatened in the third, as senior Mariangela Garcia (Tucson, AZ/Desert View) singled and redshirt freshman Alicia Habitzreuther (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena) was hit-by-pitch, but a pair of foul outs and a fielder's choice groundout ended the threat.

In the fourth, the Greyhounds took the lead for good as it turned out when Elena Garcia singled up the middle to plate Karina Moreno, as she scored after an error earlier in the inning prolonged the inning and gave ENMU a 2-1 lead.

The Lady Mustangs wouldn't get a baserunner over the final three innings and ENMU held on for the victory. The Greyhounds tallied eight hits, while WNMU had three with Maldonado tallying two hits. Moreno led ENMU with three hits, while Jennifer McElroy added two hits. Moreno had the only RBI for the Lady Mustangs, while Kamalani Peneku and Garcia drove in the two runs for ENMU.

In game two, O'Neill again started for WNMU and the Greyhounds tallied a run in both the first and second innings to jump out to a 2-0 lead. In the third, the Lady Mustangs took advantage of an error to get on the board. Senior Victoria Arganda (San Bernardino, CA/Pacific) hit a shot to first base that was misplayed and later Maldonado doubled to left-center to score sophomore Justyce Millan-Martinez (Albuquerque, NM/St. Pius X) who came in to run for Arganda and cut the deficit to 2-1.

ENMU kept the offense coming as they tallied a two-run homer early in the third to open up a 4-1 lead. They later went on to add two more runs and take a 6-1 lead after three. Habitzreuther came on in relief of O'Neill to close out the inning.

Over the next two innings, the Greyhounds added two more in the fourth and then walked-off with the win in the fifth when Peneku singled down the right field line and the run scored on a throwing error from the outfield.

ENMU held a 9-1 edge on hits, while WNMU committed four errors to two for ENMU. Maldonado registered the only hit for WNMU, as she put together a strong day with three hits.

Erikka Burke, McElroy and Elysa Rodriguez all had two hits to lead ENMU, while Burke, Samantha Brockman and Garcia drove in two runs apiece.

In the circle, O'Neill ended up with the loss (0-5), as she went the first 2.1 innings and allowed five earned runs. Habitzreuther pitched 1.2 innings and allowed three runs, while sophomore Lyana Waddell (Winkelman, AZ/San Manuel) went the final two-thirds of an inning giving up one unearned run. Kimberly Herron went all five innings for ENMU to record the victory (1-1) as she gave up just one hit and one unearned run, along with six strikeouts and no walks.

The two teams will finish their series on Sunday morning with a single game at 10 a.m.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#14 Mariangela Garcia: SS; 5' 5"; Junior; R/R

#9 Ariana Maldonado: OF; 5' 3"; Sophomore; R/R

#7 Clarissa Moreno: C; 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R

#11 Lyana Waddell: P; 5' 4"; Freshman; R/R

Alicia Habitzreuther: IN; 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R

#13 Thalia O'Neill: P; 5' 1"; Freshman; R/R

#8 Justyce Millan-Martinez: UT; 5' 0"; Freshman; R/R

#24 Victoria Arganda: IN; 5' 6"; Junior; R/R

#3 Aryana Gutierrez: OF; 5' 2"; Junior; L/R

Players Mentioned

#14 Mariangela Garcia
: 5' 5"; Junior; R/R
: SS

#9 Ariana Maldonado
: 5' 3"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#7 Clarissa Moreno
: 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R
: C

#11 Lyana Waddell
: 5' 4"; Freshman; R/R
: P

Alicia Habitzreuther
: 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R
: IN

#13 Thalia O'Neill
: 5' 1"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#8 Justyce Millan-Martinez
: 5' 0"; Freshman; R/R
: UT

#24 Victoria Arganda
: 5' 6"; Junior; R/R
: IN

#3 Aryana Gutierrez
: 5' 2"; Junior; L/R
: OF