Freshmen help Zias earn split against ACU

ABILENE, Texas — Freshman Katie Ramsay blanked Abilene Christian over the final four innings for her second win and second complete game of the season and freshman second baseman Ke VonSchriltz had her second game-winning hit in less than two weeks as Eastern New Mexico University's softball team rallied to beat the Wildcats 4-2 in the second game of Saturday's Lone Star Conference doubleheader.

ACU (28-12, 14-8 LSC) did all its scoring in the third inning to win the opener 6-2 and take the series two games to one.

Ramsay (2-12) allowed just two hits after falling behind 2-0 through three innings. The Zias (13-32, 5-18) got one run back in the fourth on senior right fielder Josette Aguirre's fourth home run of the season with two out.

In the sixth, Ramsay hit a one-out double to left-center. Aurelia Sandoval drew a walk against Caitlyn Crain (13-2) before Aguirre tied it with an RBI single.

Katlyn Medrano's groundout put runners at second and third before on VonSchriltz doubled to the gap in left-center.

On April 3 at Zia Softball Field, VonSchriltz hit a two-run, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth to give ENMU an 8-7 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State and a doubleheader sweep.

Ramsay surrendered a two-out single to ACU's Keanna Winkfield in the bottom of the seventh before slipping a called third strike past Madison Buckley to end it.

In the opener, the Wildcats sent 10 batters to the plate in the third in breaking open a scoreless tie. Four of the runs off freshman Amy Smith (8-18) were unearned, the result of two Zias errors.

The big blow was catcher Erin Gilliland's three-run double to left-center to cap the rally.

Peyton Mosley (11-5) worked six shutout innings for the Wildcats, allowing five hits. The Zias got to Shelby Hall with one out in the seventh when Cassie Beene singled and Medrano deposited her first homer of the season over the right-center field barrier.

Both teams finished with seven hits. Ramsay worked the final two innings of that one in relief of Smith.

The Zias return to action at 4 p.m. (MDT) on Tuesday with a single LSC game at rival West Texas A& M.