Zias swept in season-ending series

KINGSVILLE, Texas — Sophomore Tori Johnson pitched her first shutout of the season while senior Robyn Jensen hurled her third complete game of the weekend Saturday as Texas A&M-Kingsville completed a four-game Lone Star Conference South Division softball sweep of Eastern New Mexico University with 8-0 and 6-2 victories.

The Javelinas (31-24, 10-8 South) won Friday’s games 4-1 and 3-2 behind the pitching of Jensen, who ended the season with a record of 23-12. ENMU (11-36, 1-19) dropped 21 of its final 23 games overall.

Johnson (6-6) pitched a four-hitter in Saturday’s opener, walking none and striking out two. The game was called in the bottom of the fifth on the eight-run rule after the Javs erupted for five runs.

Kingsville broke a scoreless tie with a three-run third against ENMU senior Maegan Rhoten (3-15). Overall, five of the Javelinas’ runs off Rhoten were unearned, the result of four Zias errors.

In the second game, the Zias closed to 3-2 in the fourth on a single by Kyleigh Harris, a walk to Cassandra Gonzales, a wild pitch and Courtney McClasky’s two-out, two-run single. Kingsville responded with Ria Hoog’s two-run double in the bottom of the inning, and tacked on one more in the fifth against ENMU senior Lauren King (4-14).

Harris went 2-for-2 in both games on Saturday and was 5-for-11 in the series.

In Friday’s opener, the Javs again broke a scoreless tie with three in the third against Rhoten, two on a double by Brandy Thompson. Hoog added a solo homer in the fourth.

The Zias scored in the fifth on singles by Harris and Cindy Hess and a Kingsville outfield error.

In the second game, ENMU got a two-run double from senior shortstop Misty Torrez in the second inning and carried a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth behind King. Thompson singled home pinch-runner Hallie Roloff with the tying run, and TAMK’s Sarah Norman also scored on an outfield error on the same play.

Saturday

First game

Texas A&M-Kingsville 8, ENMU 0

ENMU 000 00 — 0 4 4

TAMK 003 05 — 8 9 0

Maegan Rhoten and Courtney McClasky; Tori Johnson and Amanda Mayfield. W — Johnson (6-6). L — Rhoten (3-15). DP — ENMU 1, Texas A&M-Kingsville 1. LOB — ENMU 3, Texas A&M-Kingsville 7. 2B — Texas A&M-Kingsville: Kristen Healy. 3B — ENMU: Kyleigh Harris. T — 1:18. A — 66.

Second game

Texas A&M-Kingsville 6, ENMU 2

ENMU 000 200 0 — 2 4 0

TAMK 012 210 x — 6 11 0

Lauren King and Liz Navarro; Robyn Jensen and Mayfield. W — Jensen (23-12). L — King (4-14). DP — Texas A&M-Kingsville 1. LOB — ENMU 3, Texas A&M-Kingsville 8. 2B — Texas A&M-Kingsville: Ria Hoog. T — 1:41. A — 191.

Friday

First game

Texas A&M-Kingsville 4, ENMU 1

ENMU 000 010 0 — 1 4 1

TAMK 003 100 x — 4 8 1

Rhoten and McClasky; Jensen and Mayfield. W — Jensen (21-12). L — Rhoten (3-14). LOB — ENMU 5, Texas A&M-Kingsville 6. 2B — Texas A&M-Kingsville: Sarah Norman 2, Brandy Thompson. 3B — ENMU: Rhoten. HR — Texas A&M-Kingsville: Hoog (3). T — 1:48. A — 106.

Second game

Texas A&M-Kingsville 3, ENMU 2

ENMU 020 000 0 — 2 7 3

TAMK 001 002 x — 3 8 1

King and Navarro; Jensen and Mayfield. W — Jensen (22-12). L — King (4-13). DP — ENMU 2. LOB — ENMU 9, Texas A&M-Kingsville 5. 2B — ENMU: Rhoten, Stacey Gonzales, Navarro, Misty Torrez. T — 1:34. A — 133.