Kingsville rallies to complete sweep of Zias

KINGSVILLE, Texas — Two errors led to two unearned runs for Texas A&M-Kingsville in the bottom of the seventh on Friday, and the Javelinas completed a Lone Star Conference South Division softball sweep of Eastern New Mexico University with a 3-2 victory.

Kingsville took the opener 3-0. The teams complete their three-game series with a noon (MST) single game today.

ENMU senior Kristen Cruickshank was working on a six-hitter when the Javelinas’ Dalia Marroquin reached on an error by first baseman Taylor Howard leading off the bottom of the seventh. Kingsville (8-11, 2-0 LSC) then bunted twice and both turned into singles to load the bases.

After Ariel Lichtenberger flied to center, ENMU shortstop Melissa Williams fielded Lindsey Brown’s grounder and threw wildly, allowing the tying and winning runs to score.

The Javelinas scored on Lichtenberger’s one-out RBI triple in the first. ENMU tied it in the third on Cruickshank’s RBI fielder’s choice, but left the bases loaded.

The Zias (6-16, 0-2) took the lead in the fifth when right fielder Alex Mayo Otis, who went 4-for-4, singled and scored when catcher Michelle Anderson grounded into a double play.

In the opener, Brown tossed a two-hit shutout and keyed a three-run fourth with an RBI double

Brown (6-6) gave up singles to Mayo Otis and Rebecca Quinones to start the game, then retired 21 of the final 22 hitters. She left runners stranded in scoring position in the first, but the only other ENMU baserunner was Howard, who reached on Lichtenberger’s one-out error at shortstop in the fifth.

ENMU senior right-hander Kimberly Crouse (2-6) pitched a complete-game six-hitter, but four of the hits came in the fourth inning. Lichtenberger singled to left-center with one out, then scored on Brown’s double to center field.

Amanda Arriaga hit a run-scoring single later in the inning, while Jessica Schneider drove in the third run with a groundout to second.