ENMU thumps Aggies

PORTALES – Eastern New Mexico University's softball team got off to a slow start on Sunday at Greyhound Softball Field, but it didn't last long.

After dropping the opener of a three-game Lone Star Conference series against Cameron on Saturday night, it took one pitch for ENMU to fall behind on Sunday, courtesy of leadoff hitter Khmari Edwards' home run over the left field foul pole.

Sophomore designated player Jennifer Gress' two-out, two-run triple in the bottom half gave the Greyhounds the lead, though, and an 11-run, fourth-inning explosion sealed a run-rule-shortened 15-3 victory in the opener of a doubleheader.

ENMU (16-14, 8-10) LSC went on to take the nightcap 6-3, marking the Hounds' first series win all-time against the Aggies (12-12, 9-9) and their first two-game winning streak against them. They snapped an 18-game losing streak against CU dating to a 7-3 win in Portales in March 2015, and now stand 6-32-1 in the all-time series.

Freshman first baseman Ashley Nickerson drove in seven runs on Sunday, four coming on a grand slam to highlight the big fourth inning in the opener. She also delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in Game 2 and finished the day 4-for-7.

Meantime, senior right fielder Mikenzey Patterson went 7-for-8 from the leadoff spot, including 4-for-4 in the opener with a pair of RBI singles and four runs scored. The Hounds, who had lost four in a row and eight of 10 heading into Sunday, raked Aggies hurlers for 13 hits in the opener and 11 in the second tilt.

Junior Emma Southerland (4-1) allowed four hits, including two homers, in pitching a five-inning complete game in the lidlifter. Meantime, freshman righty Marissa Rodriguez (1-2) earned her first win in the nightcap, with senior Brook Leger working three hitless innings in relief for the team's first save of the campaign.

Cameron 6, ENMU 3 (Saturday) – In a game moved to a 7 p.m. start from 1 p.m. to try to avoid high winds, the Aggies belted a pair of homers and broke a tie with a four-run sixth, started by shortstop Taylor Rowley's one-out homer.

ENMU took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth when freshman third baseman Valeria Contreras sliced an opposite-field, two-run homer to right off Aggies right-hander Robyn Bales. But a throwing error by ENMU freshman pitcher Delia Smith (1-6) allowed the tying run to score in the fifth before to roof caved in an inning later.

"She's been keeping us in a lot of close games," Hounds coach Amanda Fefel said of Smith, who despite her won-loss record has an earned run average well under 4.00.

Fefel took Leger, her top hurler, out after three frames in a 1-1 game after she struggled a bit with command.

"Everyone is gearing up for her," she said of Leger, who leads the team with nine wins. "That's why it's important to get other people in there and take some of the load off Brook."

Edwards paced a nine-hit attack by going 3-for-4, including a solo shot to center to break a scoreless tie in the third. Bales (5-4) needed 112 pitches to complete a six-hitter, walking one and striking out two.

"I think she threw a fantastic game," first-year Aggies coach Emma Johansen said.

Fefel said the Hounds have struggled lately to get their offense untracked, although they seemed to solve that issue for at least a day on Sunday.

Cameron, which came into the series with 12 home runs and just 12 errors for the season, had four of each against the Hounds.

"Playing on (ENMU's new) turf, the ball is a little bouncier," Johansen said. "On turf, it usually takes us a little bit to adjust."

ENMU returns to action with a three-game conference series this weekend at Angelo State, beginning with a 2 p.m. twin bill on Friday.