Athletic Report
April 22, 2000

ZIAS SPLIT DOUBLE-HEADER AT ACU
ABILENE, TX -- Eastern New Mexico University freshman pitcher Dawn Hunt (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) threw a 3-hitter, leading ENMU to a 4-1 victory over Abilene Christian University in the second game of a Lone Star Conference double-header, at Wells Field, Apr. 22. ACU won the first game, 3-1 behind a 3-hitter from Maurine McWilliams.

With the split, ENMU finishes the season at 25-25 overall, including 6-10 in the LSC South. It is the Zias’ first .500 record in the program’s 4-year history. Abilene Christian ended the day with a 26-20 overall record and a 9-7 record in the LSC South.

In the opener, McWilliams did not record a strikeout, but allowed just 3 hits and gave up only 2 walks to earn the win. Suzy Seitzinger (Jr., RHP, Bloomfield, NM/Bloomfield H.S.) of ENMU gave up 8 hits — all singles — but fell to 4-6 with the loss.

ENMU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Designated player Natalie Barela (Sr., Tempe, AZ/Phoenix College) doubled to start the inning. She then scored from second base on a sacrifice fly by Seitzinger. A pop-up and a line drive ended the inning.

Abilene Christian moved in front in the fourth inning. Amanda Cobb hit a sacrifice fly to score Theressa Johnson, and Betsy Paxton drove in Lynee Velasco with a single. ACU remained in front, 2-1, until the bottom of the sixth.

Rachel Mohler (So., 3B, Las Vegas, NV/Green Valley H.S.) singled with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Crystale Moore (Fr., OF, Albuquerque, NM/Manzano H.S.) pinch-ran for Mohler, but was thrown out attempting to steal second.

The Wildcats added an insurance run on an RBI single by Alicia Ortiz in the bottom of the inning. McWilliams walked with two outs, then gave way to pinch-runner Hilary Heuerman, who advanced to third on a single by Kristina Bell.

Heuerman scored on Ortiz’s hit. Two ENMU runners, Barela and Seitzinger, walked in the seventh inning to bring the tying run to the plate with two outs.

Hunt, who played first base in the opener, flied out to shortstop to end the game. Hunt’s pitching and a 10-hit attack on offense helped the Zias defeat ACU in the second game. Hunt did not earn a strikeout, but gave up only 2 walks. She kept the Wildcats from scoring over the final six innings.

Meanwhile, Enida Rosales (Sr., 2B, Glendale, AZ/South Mountain College), Seitzinger and Erica Sussex (Jr., C, Bloomfield, NM/Bloomfield H.S.) each recorded 2 hits for ENMU. Ortiz doubled as the leadoff batter in the bottom of the first. She scored two outs later, when Velasco also hit a double.

Sussex singled and tied the game in the third-inning on a double by Rosales. The Zias then moved in front with 3 runs in the sixth. Mohler started the big inning with a double.

Katie Call (Sr., OF, Albuquerque, NM/ Manzano H.S.) ran for Mohler, and advanced to third base later in the inning when Barela grounded out to first. Barela’s grounder was the second out, but Seitzinger hit an RBI single for a 2-1 lead, and Sarah Rempp (Jr., SS, Greeley, CO/Central H.S.) put runners at first and third with another single.

Hunt also singled, driving in Seitzinger and Rempp. Hunt faced just 3 batters in the sixth and 4 batters in the seventh. She improved to 4-0 on the season, while lowering her earned run average to 2.33. She limited opponents to a .239 batting average during the season.