Waddell, Long Balls Nearly Lead Lady Mustangs Past No. 25 TexAnns

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Sophomore Lyana Waddell (Winkelman, AZ/San Manuel) kept No. 25 Tarleton State off balance, while juniors Ariana Maldonado (Albuquerque, NM/Cibola) and Carolyn Castillo (Silver City, NM/Silver City) provided the power. The Western New Mexico University softball team was up early and tied midway through the first game before the TexAnns used a late rally to claim the 6-3 victory. In the nightcap, Tarleton State used a big fourth inning to take the 8-0 five inning victory Friday in Lone Star Conference action.

WNMU (2-27, 0-14 LSC) had just three hits in the first game, but two of them left the yard. Right out of the gate, Maldonado cashed in as junior Tycee Coplan (Taylor, AZ/Snowflake) walked and Maldonado ripped the first pitch over the center field fence for the 2-0 lead.

Waddell kept Tarleton State (28-6, 11-6 LSC) at bay through the first two innings allowing just one baserunner. After the TexAnns got on the board in the third, they took their first lead of the game with a two-run fourth inning for a 3-2 advantage.

Castillo evened things up when she smashed a solo shot in the fifth inning to left to knot the game at three.

Just when WNMU was right back in the game, Tarleton State took advantage of an error in the fifth to move back in front 4-3, before plating two more in the sixth on a double for a 6-3 lead.

Down to their last at-bat, redshirt freshman Alicia Habitzreuther (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena) singled, but a strikeout and double play ended the game.

Maldonado, Castillo and Habitzreuther accounted for the three hits. Maldonado had a pair of RBI, while Castillo had the other on her solo shot. Tarleton State had four players post two hits in Georgia Capell, Meghann Wrinkle, Tanna Huie and Karli Herron. Huie drove in three runs.

In the circle, Waddell went all six innings to end up with the loss (2-12) as she allowed just five earned runs. Jordan Withrow went the seven innings for Tarleton State to grab the win (15-4) as she allowed three earned runs.

During game two, WNMU recorded five hits, but left six runners on base. Junior Aryana Gutierrez (Glendale, AZ/Deer Valley) held the TexAnns to just seven hits in making her second start in the circle.

WNMU threatened right out of the gate as Coplan and Maldonado singled to start the first frame. A pair of fielder's choice outs and a ground out followed to end the threat.

Tarleton State used a double in the home half to jump out to a 2-0 lead after one.

Castillo opened the second with a single, but was erased on a double play. The TexAnns used the long ball in the third to move out to a 4-0 lead.

In the fourth, freshman Grisdey Paredes-Alvarez (Tucson, AZ/Sunnyside) doubled and later junior Deidre Vega (Bayard, NM/Cobre) walked, but a ground out back to the pitcher ended the inning. That's when Tarleton State put together their big inning as they tallied a sacrifice fly and a pair of singles, with one scoring a run and the other bringing in a pair of runs to open up an 8-0 lead.

Down to their last chance in the fifth, freshman Dominque Gonzales was hit-by-pitch and Maldonado doubled to left-center, but on the play, Gonzales was gunned down at home. A fly out followed to end the game.

Maldonado posted a pair of hits, while Colpan, Paredes-Alvarez and Castillo all added hits. Maddie Quintanar led the TexAnns with two hits, along with two runs scored. Megan Durante, Lexi Grimaldo and Karli Herron all drove in two runs apiece.

In the circle, Gutierrez went the four innings for the Lady Mustangs and ended up with the loss (0-2) as she allowed seven earned runs. Megan Rosewell grabbed her eighth (8-0) win of the season for the TexAnns in tossing the shutout.

The two teams will finish their four-game series with another doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. Mountain Time. The first game will count as a conference contest, while the second game will be just a regional contest.

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Players Mentioned

#17 Carolyn Castillo: 3B/1B; 5' 5"; Junior; R/R

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

#5 Alicia Habitzreuther: 2B/SS; 5' 6"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

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

#19 Deidre Vega: C; 5' 1"; Junior; R/R

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

#2 Tycee Coplan: UT; 5' 5"; Junior; L/R

#4 Grisdey Paredes-Alvarez: 3B; 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#17 Carolyn Castillo
: 5' 5"; Junior; R/R
: 3B/1B

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

#5 Alicia Habitzreuther
: 5' 6"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: 2B/SS

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

#19 Deidre Vega
: 5' 1"; Junior; R/R
: C

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

#2 Tycee Coplan
: 5' 5"; Junior; L/R
: UT

#4 Grisdey Paredes-Alvarez
: 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R
: 3B