Road proves difficult for ENMU teams

Eastern New Mexico University’s baseball and softball teams endured four-game sweeps on the road over the weekend, but not for lack of effort.

Facing one of the Lone Star Conference North Division’s top baseball programs in Southeastern Oklahoma, the Greyhounds (8-12) dropped a pair of one-run decisions and were kept in check on offense by the Savages. Meantime, the Zias (13-14) battled defending NCAA Division II softball national champion Angelo State and lost three times by a run — including one game in extra innings and another in the bottom of the seventh.

ENMU baseball coach Phil Clabaugh said Southeastern simply has a solid program.

“They played awful well,” he said of the Savages (11-8), whom he said had been struggling a bit before the weekend. “It wasn’t so much that we played bad, they just played better.”

The Hounds got an encouraging start from left-hander David Swinconos, who allowed three hits in 5 1/3 innings of Saturday’s 2-1 first-game loss.

“He’s kind of settled in as the fourth starter,” Clabaugh said. “And Kellen Smith and (Josh) Kuchta have shown they can get some people out (in relief), and that’s encouraging.”

ENMU committed eight errors in the series, including four in Saturday’s 6-2 setback in the nightcap, but Clabaugh noted the Hounds turned six double plays in the four games and made several spectacular catches in the outfield.

“Justin Gee struggled at the plate (2-for-10), but he played as good a right field as I’ve ever had played,” Clabaugh said. “He made three catches with his back to the infield.”

ENMU got decent pitching, he said, but the Savages hit well in the clutch.

“The only time they got hits is when they needed them,” he said.

This weekend, the Hounds play their second-to-last crossover series, hosting Southwestern Oklahoma (8-12) in doubleheaders starting at 3 p.m. on Friday and at noon on Saturday at Greyhound Field. They travel to Cameron next weekend before beginning South Division play at home against Texas A&M-Kingsville on April 1-2.

“We really need to take care of our business and play well against Southwestern Oklahoma,” Clabaugh said.

The Zias slipped under the .500 mark for the season in their opening South series at ASU, but acting head coach Amber Daniel said she hopes they play as well the rest of the way as they did against the nationally ninth-ranked Rambelles (20-6).

“Rose (Rosemary Moreno) struggled in the first game a little bit (giving up 13 hits in an 8-7 setback), but our other pitchers threw well — especially Patricia (Gonzales) and Natasha (Lindsey),” Daniel said. “Our defense was (relatively) flawless this weekend, for the first time.”

ENMU played errorless defense on Saturday after committing seven miscues in Friday’s twin bill. Daniel said she made a point of the lack of defense to the team on Friday night.

Gonzales (4-5) gave up a two-out solo homer to ASU first baseman Christel Neal in the bottom of the eighth in a 4-3 first-game loss on Saturday. Then Lindsey (2-2) threw six solid innings in a 2-1 setback in the nightcap.

Daniel said the Zias, who play a four-game South series at Texas Woman’s this weekend, have shown the ability to compete.

“I’m not worried about it,” she said. “If we play the way we played this weekend the rest of the way, we’re not going to lose many more games.

“People aren’t going to outhit us. If anything gets us, it’ll be our defense.”

Tennis — The ENMU women’s tennis squad lost three duals to Lone Star Conference competition in action at Ada, Okla.

The Zias were beaten by host East Central 6-2 and Northeastern State 9-0 on Friday, and by Central Oklahoma 7-1 on Saturday.

Freshman Ashley Toye was involved in all three ENMU match wins. She won at No. 5 singles against opponents from ECU and UCO, and teamed with freshman Ivy Moquino for a doubles win against East Central.

Baseball

Saturday

At Durant, Okla.

First game

SE Oklahoma 2, ENMU 1

ENMU 000 100 0 — 1 4 0

SE Okla. 000 100 1 — 2 6 0

David Swinconos, Travor Davis (6) and Tyler Brown, Brian Green (7); Adam Bennett, Shawn Dorries (6) and Cole Stokes. W — Dorries (2-1). L — Davis (4-2). DP — Eastern New Mexico 2, Southeastern Oklahoma 1. LOB — Eastern New Mexico 4, Southeastern Oklahoma 3. 2B — Eastern New Mexico: Brett Scherer. Southeastern Oklahoma: Jeremy Barber, Sean Cawood. T — 1:20. A — 80.

Second game

SE Oklahoma 6, ENMU 2

ENMU 000 020 0 — 2 8 4

SE Okla. 100 311 x — 6 9 0

Davis, Kellen Smith (6) and Green; Heath Pierce, Darryl Burkett (5), Dorries (7) and Stokes. W — Pierce (2-1). L — Davis (4-3). Sv — Dorries (2). DP — Eastern New Mexico 3, Southeastern Oklahoma 2. LOB — Eastern New Mexico 9, Southeastern Oklahoma 4. 2B — Eastern New Mexico: Justin Gee. 3B — Southeastern Oklahoma: Seleetka James. T — 1:50. A — 180.

Softball

Saturday

At San Angelo, Texas

First game

Angelo State 4, ENMU 3

ENMU 000 002 10 — 3 5 0

ASU 010 200 01 — 4 6 2

Patricia Gonzales and Tina Whitt; Brittney Cargill and Cara Redmond. W — Cargill (8-2). L — Gonzales (4-5). LOB — Eastern New Mexico 6, Angelo State 4. 2B — Eastern New Mexico: Elizabeth Whipkey. Angelo State: Doinne Lopez, Cargill. 3B — Angelo State: Andrea Payan. HR — Angelo State: Christel Neal (9). T — 2:10. A — 130.

Second game

Angelo State 2, ENMU 1

ENMU 000 100 0 — 1 5 0

ASU 100 001 x — 2 6 0

Natasha Lindsey and Courtney McClasky; Kari Galm and Julia Monsivias. W — Galm (6-1). L — Lindsey (2-2). DP — Eastern New Mexico 1, Angelo State 1. LOB — Eastern New Mexico 4, Angelo State 4. 2B — Eastern New Mexico: Tori Picazo, Whipkey, Adina Taul. T — 1:30. A — 140.

Tennis

At Ada, Okla.

Friday

East Central 6, ENMU 2

Singles

No. 1 — Dasha Segenchuk (ECU) def. Elyse Jacques 6-2, 6-2; No. 2 — Karlien Lotter (ECU) def. Erica Kelly 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 — Katrina Cousins (ECU) def. Kristen VanWettering 6-1, 6-3; No. 4 — Jessica Lobnitz (ECU) def. Ivy Moquino by default; No. 5 — Ashley Toye (ENMU) def. Amanda Rhymes 6-2, 0-6 (10-3); No. 6 — no match.

Doubles

No. 1 — Segenchuk-Lotter (ECU) def. Jacques-Kelly 8-2; No. 2 — Moquino-Toye (ENMU) def. Fernandez-Cousins 8-6; No. 3 — Lobnitz-Rhymes (ECU) win by default.

Northeastern State 9, ENMU 0

Singles

No. 1 — Holly McKee (NSU) def. Jacques 6-2, 5-7 (10-4); No. 2 — Berit Itschert (NSU) def. Kelly 6-1, 6-0; No. 3 — Simona Stoica (NSU) def. VanWettering 6-1, 6-0; No. 4 — Kelli Sturm (NSU) wins by default; No. 5 — Amanda Stone (NSU) def. Toye 6-1, 6-2; No. 6 — Nicole Chambers (NSU) wins by default.

Doubles

No. 1 — McKee-Itschert (NSU) def. Jacques-Kelly 8-1; No. 2 — Stoica-Sturm (NSU) def. VanWettering-Toye 9-8 (7-4); No. 3 — Stone-Chambers (NSU) win by default.

Saturday

Central Oklahoma 8, ENMU 1

Singles

No. 1 — Erin Parriott (UCO) def. Jacques 6-2, 7-5; No. 2 — Kim Kimak (UCO) def. Kelly 6-1, 6-2; No. 3 — Sarah Bowman (UCO) def. VanWettering 6-2, 6-1; No. 4 — Kristin DeBruin (UCO) def. Moquino 7-6, 6-4; No. 5 — Toye (ENMU) def. Lisa Jackson 6-3, 6-3; No. 6 — UCO wins by default.

Doubles

No. 1 — Bowman-Kimak (UC0) def. Jacques-Kelly 8-2; No. 2 — DeBruin-Parriott (UCO) def. VanWettering-Toye 8-5; No. 3 — UCO wins by default.