Javelinas complete series sweep of Zias

Freedom New Mexico

KINGSVILLE, Texas — Lindsey Brown picked up her third pitching victory of the series and drove in three runs, leading Texas A&M-Kingsville to a 13-5 win over Eastern New Mexico University on Saturday and a sweep of their three-game Lone Star Conference South Division softball series.

Brown (8-6) pitched a complete-game shutout in the opener of Friday’s doubleheader, then won the nightcap in relief. On Saturday, the Zias (6-17, 0-3 South) reached her for 10 hits in six innings but never seriously threatened the Javelinas (9-11, 3-0).

Brown hit a sacrifice fly in Kingsville’s two-run first, then first baseman Amanda Arriaga keyed a three-run third with a two-run double. The Zias scored twice in the fourth on an RBI single by Kimberly Crouse and a run-scoring double by Samantha Davis, but Brown hit a two-run double in a four-run Kingsville fourth for a 9-2 lead.

The Zias got a run-scoring double by catcher Michelle Anderson, an RBI groundout by Kristen Cruickshank and an RBI triple by shortstop Melissa Williams in the fifth. The Javs ended the game on the eight-run rule with a four-run sixth, helped by two Zias errors.

Crouse (2-7) pitched 2 1/3 innings and took the loss, allowing three runs. Cruickshank went the final three innings for ENMU and gave up eight runs, but only two were earned as the result of four Zias errors.

Third baseman Yvette Berlanga went 3-for-4 in the Javs’ 13-hit attack, while Brown, Cassie Anderson and Kaycee Bryan all had two hits.

For the Zias, catcher Michelle Anderson, right fielder Alex Mayo Otis and Davis each had two hits.