Athletic Report
February 26, 2000 (3/6)

ENMU FALLS TO ST. MARY’S AND ADAMS STATE
IN ZIA CLASSIC BRACKET PLAY
PORTALES, NM — Eastern New Mexico University lost both of its games during bracket play Feb. 26 at the First Annual Zia Classic hosted by ENMU. The Zias fell to St. Mary’s of Texas, 6-3, in the opening round of bracket play, then lost a defensive battle to Adams State, 2-1 in eight innings, in the consolation bracket. ENMU finished the tournament with an 11-9 overall record, including 2-3 during the Zias Classic.

Against St. Mary’s, ENMU earned a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a 2-run homer by Rachel Mohler (So., 3B, Las Vegas, NV/Green Valley H.S.). It was Mohler’s 5th home run of the season, tying her with Sarah Rempp (Jr., SS, Greeley, CO/Central H.S.) for the team lead. Michelle Delillo (So., LF, Albuquerque, NM/Cibola H.S.) also scored on the play. St. Mary’s responded with 4 runs in the fourth stanza.

Tanya Medina tied the game with a 2-run homer, and Elizabeth Card drove in the other runs with a double to right field. The Rattlers added two more runs in the fifth inning. Jessica Jiminez drove in pitcher Kristy Marley with a single. Card brought home the other run with an infield single to third. Medina scored on the play. Mohler singled and scored in the sixth inning for the Zias, but ENMU was unable to get any closer to the Rattlers.

St. Mary’s finished the game with 14 hits, while holding ENMU to 5 hits. Mohler led the Zias with 2 hits in 4 at bats. She also scored twice and drove in 2 runs. Card topped St. Mary’s with a 4 for 4 performance and 3 RBIs at the plate. Jiminez earned 3 hits in 4 at bats.

In the consolation bracket game against Adams State, both pitchers, Adrienne Conner of ENMU and Alicia Blake of ASC, pitched shutouts through seven innings. Both teams finally scored when the international tie-breaker (a runner starts the inning at second base) was used in the eighth inning.

Eastern, the visiting team, scored once in the top of the eighth. Kristy Jones (Fr., RF, Artesia, NM/N.M. State) was the designated runner at second base. She advanced to third on a passed ball, and later scored on a ground out by Enida Rosales (Sr., 2B, Glendale, AZ/ South Mountain College). Rosales’ ground out was the second out of the inning. Blake escaped the stanza without allowing another run by recording her 5th strikeout of the game.

In the bottom of the eighth, Marlee White pinch ran for Gianna Marquez as the designated runner. White scored with two outs on a single by Meredith Barton. Amber Smith and Blake followed with consecutive singles, allowing Barton to score the winning run.

ASC finished the game with 8 hits, while ENMU managed just 4 hits during the contest. Blake and Karen Bates each went 2 for 3 for the Rattlers.

Four ENMU players recorded one hit apiece. Conner, despite losing the game struck out 4 batters and allowed just 1 walk. She is 5-2 on the season with 26 strikeouts for ENMU.

The First Annual Zia Classic was won by Oklahoma City University, which defeated Western New Mexico, 3-0, in the championship game. OCU pitcher Lindsey Voss pitched a perfect game with 17 strikeouts and no base runners in the championship contest.

ENMU does not return to action until Wed., Mar. 8, when the Zias take on Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas at 2:00 p.m. (MST). The Zias remain on the road Mar. 9-11 at the Incarnate Word Tournament, also in San Antonio.