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Western New Mexico University Athletics

Western New Mexico University Athletics
Grisdey Paredes-Alvarez
Jay Hemphill, WNMU
17
Winner West Texas A&M WT 18-3, 5-1 LSC
14
Western N.M. WNMU 1-23, 0-12 LSC
Winner
West Texas A&M WT
18-3, 5-1 LSC
17
Final
14
Western N.M. WNMU
1-23, 0-12 LSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
West Texas A&M WT 2 0 1 7 4 1 2 17 20 4
Western N.M. WNMU 0 1 1 2 8 2 0 14 15 2

W: Kourtney Coveney (1-0) L: O'Neill, Thalia (0-9) S: Stevie McLemore (1)

3
Winner West Texas A&M WT 19-3
1
Western N.M. WNMU 1-24
Winner
West Texas A&M WT
19-3
3
Final
1
Western N.M. WNMU
1-24
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
West Texas A&M WT 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 7 1
Western N.M. WNMU 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 0

W: Stevie McLemore (2-1) L: Waddell, Lyana (1-11)

Game Recap: Softball | | Brian Kortz

Offense Records 14 Runs in Game One as Lady Mustangs Push #15 Lady Buffs

SILVER CITY, N.M. – Trailing 14-4 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Western New Mexico University softball team unleashed an eight-run rally to not only fend off the possible run-rule, but nearly came all the way back to tie. No. 15 West Texas A&M held on for a wild 17-14 game one win that counted as a Lone Star Conference game. In the nightcap, the Lady Buffs used the pitching and bat of Stevie McLemore to pull out the 3-1 victory Saturday.

The teams combined for 35 hits in the first game, with WT (19-3, 5-1 LSC) holding the 20-15 edge. The 15 hits and 14 runs by WNMU (1-24, 0-12 LSC) ties for the most allowed by the Lady Buffs this season in both categories as Tarleton State went for 14 runs and 15 hits on Mar. 3.

It certainly didn't start like a game that was going to see 31 combined runs. WT scored a pair of runs off solo homers in the first inning. The Lady Mustangs got on the board in the second as junior Carolyn Castillo (Silver City, NM/Silver City) delivered a two-out RBI single to left to score freshman Grisdey Paredes-Alvarez (Tucson, AZ/Sunnyside) who singled earlier in the inning.

The teams traded runs in the third, as junior Tycee Coplan (Taylor, AZ/Snowflake) posted one of her four hits in the game as she led off the inning with a single up the middle. After stealing second and moving to third on a ground out, she came home on an RBI ground out to first by senior Mariangela Garcia (Tucson, AZ/Desert View) leaving it a 3-2 game after three.

The Lady Buffs then threatened to put the game out of reach in the fourth when they plated seven runs on eight hits top open up a 10-2 advantage. WNMU refused to go away, as they continued to plug away against one of the top pitchers in the region in Kilee Halbert. In the home half of the fourth, Paredes-Alvarez reached on a walk and after Castillo was hit-by-pitch, senior Aryana Gutierrez (Glendale, AZ/Deer Valley) drove in a run when she singled to left. After the runners moved up on a passed ball, Coplan singled through the left side to score Castillo and leave WNMU down just six at 10-4 after four. In the process, the Lady Mustangs knocked out Halbert, as Kourtney Coveney recorded the last two outs on a double play.

WT got four runs right back in the fifth to move out to a 14-4 lead. That meant WNMU had to score at least three runs to keep the game going. They would do way more than that. Garcia opened the frame reaching on a throwing error by the second baseman. Redshirt freshman Alicia Habitzreuther (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena) singled and after redshirt sophomore Clarissa Moreno (Tucson, AZ/Desert View) walked, the bases were loaded with no outs. Freshman Alexis Gonzalez (Phoenix, AZ/Deer Valley) worked a five-pitch walk to bring in the first run of the inning. Then the second error of the inning happened when Castillo hit one to shortstop, but the throw sailed on the first baseman bringing in a pair of runs. Gutierrez kept the train moving when she ripped a line drive double to center that skipped past the center fielder and brought in another run. Following a sacrifice fly RBI for junior Ariana Maldonado (Albuquerque, NM/Cibola), Garcia singled in two more and then a Habitzreuther double down the left field line left the Lady Mustangs down just two at 14-12 after five.

The Lady Buffs got a run back in the sixth, but WNMU came right back. Paredes-Alvarez opened the sixth with a double to right-center. After an out, a fielding error at third opened the door for the inning. Gutierrez singled to left to load the bases. After a fielder's choice out marked the second out, Maldonado singled to plate a run and on the play, the catcher tried to get Coplan at second, but the throw skipped in and allowed Gutierrez to come in from third to leave WNMU down just one at 15-14 entering the final inning.

WT added a few more runs in the seventh when McLemore singled up the middle to pull ahead 17-14. McLemore then went to the circle for the Lady Buffs in the seventh and she was able to get the Lady Mustangs in order to pick up the save and preserve the wild win for WT.

The 15 hits is a season-high for the Lady Mustangs, eclipsing the 14-hit effort against Eastern New Mexico. Coplan, batting leadoff, set the tone for the Lady Mustangs as she had four hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Habitzreuther and Gutierrez added three hits apiece and Paredes-Alvarez had two. Garcia drove in three runs, while Gutierrez, Maldonado and Castillo had two RBI each. Ashley Hardin and Suka Van Gurp paced the Lady Buffs with four hits each. Four others had at least two hits. Hardin and Coveney drove in four runs each, while Van Gurp and McLemore added three RBI.

In the circle, sophomore Thalia O'Neill (Bloomfield, NM/Bloomfield) started for WNMU and ended up with the loss (0-9) as she went the first six innings and tossed 125 pitches. Sophomore Lyana Waddell (Winkelman, AZ/San Manuel) went the final inning and allowed just one unearned run. Halbert started for WT and went the first 3.1 innings and allowed four earned runs on seven hits. Coveney came on in relief and ended up grabbing the win (1-0) as she went 2.2 innings and allowed 10 runs, but all 10 were unearned. McLemore went the final inning to get her first save of the season.

After game one took nearly three hours, the second game was a complete reversal as the teams played the game on fast forward and it took just over an hour to play all seven innings. There were only 134 combined pitches thrown in the second game and 12 hits allowed.

Waddell and McLemore were on fire in the nightcap in the circle, as Waddell went all seven innings and allowed three earned runs to end up with the tough-luck loss (1-11), while McLemore went all seven innings and allowed one unearned run to get her second (2-1) win of the year.

Neither team scored through the first two innings and then in the third, McLemore showcased her hitting abilities to help herself in the circle. After a double by Kylee Moore kept the inning alive, McLemore wasted no time coming through as she took the first pitch down the left field line for a three-run homer and a 3-0 lead.

WNMU threatened in the fourth and fifth, getting a runner on each inning, but weren't able to break through. In the sixth, Gutierrez started things with a single and then on a bunt laid down by Coplan, she beat it out at first and on the throw, it sailed down the right field line to move Gutierrez to third on the error. Maldonado cashed in when she grounded out to shortstop to score Gutierrez leaving WT in front 3-1 after six.

Down to their last out, Gonzalez kept the game going when she snuck a single just inside the right field line. With the tying run at the plate, a ground out to third ended the game giving WT the 3-1 victory.

Coplan, Maldonado, Paredes-Alvarez, Gonzalez and Gutierrez all had hits for WNMU. McLemore and Shanna McBroom led WT with two hits apiece.

WNMU will conclude their home stand this coming Saturday when they will face Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) with a doubleheader starting at noon. It will also be Kid Appreciation Day.
 
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