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Greyhound softball rally falls short

PORTALES - By the time Texas Woman's University posted a 9-1 advantage through a mix of power hitting and small-ball, it looked like Pioneers were grabbing a satisfying rout to a end a Lone Star Conference sweep over Eastern New Mexico.

Turns out, the Pioneers were only building a cushion. They'd need all of it, just surviving a Greyhound rally to take a 9-7 victory.

Combined with Friday's 5-4 and 6-5 wins at Greyhound Softball Field, the Pioneers (18-10, 8-4 LSC) jumped three teams for sole possession of third place in the LSC race.

The Greyhounds (13-16, 6-9), losers of their last six in conference and last eight overall, fell into a tie for eighth place with Midwestern State.

Cheyenne Mahy improved to 9-2 on the season, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings of work and helping her own cause with a sacrifice bunt for a first-inning RBI and a solo homer in the seventh. Mahy stayed in as a designated hitter after reliever Abby Walker took over in the sixth.

The Pioneers did show a little bit of power, but grabbed runs here and there over the course of the game with singles and walks against starter Leslie Reyes (6-8). The Pioneers posted 14 hits on the game - 12 off Reyes and the others off reliever Hanna Gary, pulled after giving up a homer and a triple to the only two batters she faced.

The Greyhounds hit two homers in the seventh and scored four runs with two outs. Kianna Zerr, who entered in the top of the seventh as a reliever, got the scoring started with a two-run homer to left.

Down to their last out, the Greyhounds kept the rally going a little longer, with Jennifer McElroy hitting an RBI double and Ashley Lopez hitting a three-run bomb to center. The Pioneers survived when Courtney Vigil lined out to third to end the threat.

The Greyhounds are back in action Tuesday at home against Lubbock Christian for a 4 p.m. doubleheader.

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