Sweep lifts Zias over .500 mark

GOODWELL, Okla. — Junior Nicole Dickson pitched her third shutout of the season in the nightcap and freshman catcher Michelle Anderson homered in each game Tuesday as Eastern New Mexico University’s softball team rolled to a 9-4, 14-0 sweep of Oklahoma Panhandle State.

The Zias (17-16) moved over .500 by winning their fourth game in a row and seventh in the last eight games. They also completed a four-game season sweep of the Lady Aggies (4-22).

Freshman Alex Mayo Otis drove in three runs in the opener with a sacrifice fly and a two-run, seventh-inning homer. Anderson hit a solo homer in the fifth for a 4-2 lead, and Anna Hershkowitz added an RBI single and Valerie Villela a run-scoring groundout to make it 6-2 in the sixth.

Freshman Nicole Cruickshank (4-8) went the distance to pick up the win, and also contributed an RBI double in the seventh.

ENMU won the second contest in five innings on the 10-run rule, scoring twice in each of the first three frames and blowing the game open with an eight-run fourth.

Senior outfielder Kelsey Kubik hit a two-run double in the top of the first. ENMU’s fourth-inning explosion included a two-run triple by Kristina Goodman and a three-run homer by Anderson, giving her six round-trippers for the season.

Dickson (11-4) worked around eight OPSU hits to get the pitching victory.