Defense Comes Up Huge for Softball to Salvage Split at ENMU

PORTALES, N.M. — With the wind gusting straight out to centerfield throughout the doubleheader on Friday, a lot of runs were scored as St. Mary's University Softball split with Eastern New Mexico. The Greyhounds won game one 11-7, while the Rattlers bounced back to win game two, 5-3.
 
The series and the regular season conclude on Saturday as the two teams take the diamond at 1 p.m. CT/12 p.m. MT.
 
GAME ONE RECAP
The Rattlers (30-23, 25-16 Lone Star Conference) outhit the Greyhounds (25-24, 18-23 LSC) 16 to 11 in the first game but stranded 14 runners on base in the 11-7 loss. 
 
All nine spots in the lineup reached base at least once for the Rattlers and both sophomore Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) and senior Reba Reyes (Brownsville, Texas) notched four hits each and Reyes collected three RBI. Senior Mackenzie Dugi (St. Hedwig, Texas) added two doubles, and she walked once and reached via an error.
 
Junior Jadyn Abrego (San Antonio) started in the circle for the Rattlers, lasting 2 1/3 innings in a no decision. She allowed four runs on four hits with three walks. Junior Savannah Youngblood (Kingwood, Texas) was handed a rare loss, giving up six earned runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. She did not walk a batter and struck out two. Senior Sara Robertson pitched the seventh inning without allowing a hit.
 
GAME TWO RECAP
A fantastic defensive play in the bottom of the seventh got the Rattlers out of a jam and lifted them to a 5-3 win for the split. With one out and runners on second and third, Lauryn Ramos (Marion, Texas) fielded a sharply hit ground ball and threw home to Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas), who made the tag and quickly threw to Tennill at third, who also applied the tag to end the game.
 
The Rattlers took the lead in the top half of the inning. With one out, Reyes drew a four-pitch walk. Holder hit the first pitch she saw to centerfield for a single. Senior Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas) drove a single back up the middle to plate Reyes. Dugi doubled to right to score Holder and give the Rattlers the 5-3 lead.
 
Holder and Gomez led the Rattlers with three hits each, and Holder was missing only the triple for the cycle as she blasted her fifth home run of the year to get the scoring started in the first inning. Dugi again had two hits and added another double to her total on the day. Both Abrego and Arianna (AJ) Sanchez had a hit in the DP position as the Rattlers scored their five runs on 10 hits.
 
Junior Madeline Bloom (Poway, Calif.) pitched a complete game, allowing only three runs on seven hits with three walks and a strikeout to improve to 6-7 on the year.