Sweep eludes Hounds softball team

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Eastern New Mexico University’s Kiana Zerr had quite a day for herself on Saturday.

Zerr, a sophomore from Los Alamos, earned the pitching victory and keyed back-to-back, six-run innings with a three-run homer and a grand slam as the Greyhounds built a 10-run lead, then nearly let it get away in the last half-inning in a 12-9 win over Angelo State in the opener of a Lone Star Conference softball doubleheader, the Rambelles’ first LSC loss and only ENMU’s second all-time win at San Angelo.

Zerr had a chance to do the same thing in the nightcap. The Hounds (9-15, 2-6) trailed 6-4 with the tying runs in scoring position and one out in the top of the seventh, but Zerr popped up.

After ASU ace Kenedy Urbany was summoned and issued an intentional walk to junior Audrey Velasquez to load the bases, Hill (2-0) was re-summoned and got junior first baseman Erikka Burke on strikes to preserve the win for Angelo (18-5, 7-1 LSC).

Zerr gave up two runs in the first inning of the opener, then blanked the Rambelles until the bottom of the seventh when the roof nearly fell in.

Still trailing 2-0 entering the sixth, the Hounds collected five hits off Urbany (9-3), including a one-out homer by Susannah Chandler and a two-out, three-run shot by Zerr. She then capped the seventh-inning uprising against reliever Riley Adams with her grand slam to left-center.

Both Chandler and Zerr have four homers each for the season.

Zerr (2-3) carried a three-hitter into the bottom half of the inning, but ASU quickly climbed back into it. Katie Ripple relieved Zerr with one out and managed to survive a a two-run single by the Rambelles’ Lanie Robinson before getting leadoff hitter Madison Greenwell — the 13th batter of the inning — on a fielder’s choice grounder to strand the bases loaded.

The Hounds outhit ASU 12-8 with Zerr and four of her teammates notching two hits apiece. The loss ended ASU’s 16-game home winning streak.

Game 2 seesawed back and fourth. The Hounds scored twice in the first on an RBI double by Chandler and a run-scoring single by senior catcher Kira Sirag, but the Rambelles tied it in the bottom half and took a 3-2 lead in the second on pitcher Morgan Hill’s first homer of the season.

ENMU went back in front in the fourth on senior third baseman Morgan Green’s two-out, two-run double to right. The Rambelles retired it in the bottom half on Urbany’s fourth homer of the season with one out off ENMU freshman Natasha Kissell (2-7).

In the sixth, a walk and two infield outs preceded second baseman Bailey Wallace’s RBI single to left. Wallace eventually scored an insurance run on a single by Alexis Evans.

Kissell went the distance in the circle for ENMU, allowing eight hits with three walks and no strikeouts. The Hounds collected 12 hits, including three each by Chandler and Sirag, but they stranded 13 baserunners.

ENMU returns to Greyhound Softball Field for a four-game LSC series against Texas A&M-Commerce, with noon doubleheaders on tap for both Friday and Saturday.