Zia softball sweeps OPSU

GOODWELL, Okla. — Junior Nicole Dickson pitched her third shutout of the season in the nightcap and freshman catcher Michelle Anderson homered in each game as Eastern New Mexico University’s softball team rolled to a 9-4, 14-0 sweep of Oklahoma Panhandle State on Tuesday.

The Zias (17-16) moved over .500 by winning their fourth in a row and seventh in the last eight games. They completed a four-game season sweep of the Lady Aggies (4-22).

Freshman Alex Mayo Otis drove in three runs in the opener with a sacrifice fly and a two-run, seventh-inning homer which capped the scoring. Anderson hit a solo homer in the fifth for a 4-2 lead, and Anna Hershkowitz added an RBI single and Valerie Villela a run-scoring groundout to make it 6-2 in the sixth.

Freshman Nicole Cruickshank (4-8) went the distance in the circle to pick up the win, and also contributed an RBI double in the seventh.

ENMU won the second contest in five innings on the 10-run rule, scoring twice in each of the first three frames and blowing the game open with an eight-run fourth.

Senior outfielder Kelsey Kubik hit a two-run double in the top of the first. ENMU’s fourth-inning explosion included a two-run triple by Kristina Goodman and a three-run homer by Anderson, giving her six round-trippers for the season.

Dickson (11-4) worked around eight OPSU hits to get the pitching victory.

The Zias return to action with Friday and Saturday Lone Star Conference South Division doubleheader against West Texas A&M at Canyon, both scheduled for 11 a.m. (MDT) starts. Tuesday, the Zias travel to Albuquerque for a 7 p.m. contest against the University of New Mexico.