Zias rally to sweep twin bill

PORTALES — Kelsey Kubik’s potent bat and Nicole Dickson’s right arm carried the day on Wednesday for Eastern New Mexico University’s softball team.

Kubik went 5-for-5 and homered in each game and Dickson threw nine shutout innings to pick up a pair of wins as the Zias swept Oklahoma Panhandle State 11-0 and 9-7 in their home opener at Zia Softball Field.

The games were moved from the Lady Aggies’ home field in Goodwell, Okla., due to poor field conditions. ENMU (6-2) will play at Goodwell on March 21.

Kubik hit a three-run homer and scored three runs in the Zias’ first-game rout, and added a solo homer and a pair of run-scoring singles in the nightcap.

Meantime, Dickson (5-2) cruised on a four-hit shutout in the run-rule-shortened, five-inning opener. She took over in relief of starter Alex Mayo-Otis in the fourth inning of the second game, allowing just two hits the rest of the way.

Playing their season-opening games, the Lady Aggies jumped on Mayo-Otis in the nightcap for two runs in the first and four in the second for a 6-3 lead.

Kubik’s leadoff homer and back-to-back doubles by Michelle Anderson and Rebecca Quinones cut the Aggies’ lead to one in the third. Kubik later capped a three-run fifth with a go-ahead RBI single to left.

In the opener, Quinones blasted a grand slam in a five-run first before Kubik’s three-run shot capped a four-run second against Lady Aggies senior Rachael Hughes (0-1). In the fourth, Anderson followed a walk to Kubik with a two-run homer to cap the scoring.

Quinones finished the day 4-for-5 and leads the Zias with a .500 batting average and 12 RBIs. Kubik, the defending Lone Star Conference batting champion, is hitting .480 with nine RBIs.

Second baseman Cathy Daza had two of Panhandle’s four first-game hits and finished the day 4-for-5.