Zias win 2 of 3 in crossover

Freedom New Mexico

DURANT, Okla. — Catcher Lauren Rome went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and five RBIs Friday night as Northeastern State pounded out 17 hits in handing Eastern New Mexico University a 9-2 loss in the Lone Star Conference softball crossover tournament, hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma.

Earlier, the Zias (17-18) extended their winning streak to four games and climbed back to the .500 mark by beating East Central 6-3 and Southwestern Oklahoma 5-2. ENMU faces Central Oklahoma and Midwestern State today, then finishes the event with contests against Cameron and Southeastern on Sunday.

Northeastern’s Jessica Johnson (6-6) struck out seven and held ENMU to five hits. Haley Hays had two hits and scored both runs, while Rebecca Quinones and Alex Mayo Otis banged run-scoring doubles in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively.

Leadoff hitter Aimee Bohannan also went 4-5 and scored four runs for the RiverHawks (15-14).

ENMU 6, East Central 3 — ENMU sophomore Kristen Cruickshank survived 10 Lady Tigers hits and Jessica Pacheco’s two-run double in the second put the Zias ahead for good.

Pacheco and Cruickshank (7-6) both went 2-for-3 at the plate for ENMU, which finished with nine hits off the Bulldogs’ Dana McLaren (5-9). Second baseman Rebecca Quinones gave the Zias a 3-0 lead with her second homer of the season in the third, and Cruickshank added an RBI single in a two-run fifth.

ENMU 5, Southwestern Oklahoma 2 — Pacheco again went 2-for-3 and junior Natalie Woodside (6-9) allowed no earned runs on seven hits, walking none and striking out four in a complete-game pitching effort.

Sophomore Casandra McCommons’ one-out, bases-loaded single in the fifth broke a 2-2 tie, and Pacheco followed with a two-run single.

Pacheco again went 2-for-3 while first baseman Anna Herskowitz was 2-for-2, including an RBI double in the first.