Dramatic Finishes Send Zias to Wins over Northeastern State and SE Oklahoma at LSC First Pitch Tournament

IRVING, TX – Center fielder Nikki Gay (Fr., Schertz, TX/Samuel Clemens HS) and third baseman Kim Barajas (So., Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo HS) each hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, as Eastern New Mexico University broke a 2-2 tie, on its way to a 4-2 victory over Northeastern State University, Feb. 14, in the first round of the Lone Star Conference First Pitch Tournament. In Eastern’s second-round game, Barajas scored the winning run in the top of the ninth inning on a sacrifice fly by Dawn Murray (Sr., 1B/P, Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad HS), sending the Zias to a 2-1 triumph over Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

The pair of wins against LSC North Division teams improved the Zias to 7-6 on the season. ENMU, which competes in the LSC South Division, will finish the tournament on Saturday, Feb. 15, by taking on Southwestern Oklahoma State University at 9 a.m. (MST), then playing the University of Central Oklahoma at 11 a.m. (MST). First Pitch Tournament games do not count in the LSC division standings.

Northeastern State, which fell to Abilene Christian University, 5-2, in the second round of the tournament, concluded the day with a 0-2 overall record. Southeastern Oklahoma ended the day at 1-1. The Lady Savages defeated Tarleton State, 2-0, in the first round, before losing to ENMU in the only extra-inning game of the opening day.

While Gay and Barajas provided big plays for the ENMU offensive, junior pitchers Maegan Rhoten (RHP, Albuquerque, NM/St. Pius X HS) and Lauren King (RHP, La Mirada, CA/La Serna HS) supplied the Zias with solid pitching. Rhoten struck out seven batters, allowed four hits and gave up just one earned run in the win over Northeastern State. King registered six strikeouts and allowed only five hits in the victory over Southeastern Oklahoma. Rhoten improved to 4-2 on the season, while King upped her record to 3-2.

In the game with NSU, both teams scored once in the first inning. Jessica Cook (Sr., OF, San Antonio, TX/Lon Morris JC) doubled with one out and scored for ENMU on a double by Bobbi Richardson (So., DP, Kerrville, TX/Tivy HS). Leslie Prather walked for NSU with one out and later scored on a single by Amanda Brown.

ENMU took a 2-1 lead in the second inning, when Tracey Jordan (Fr., 2B, Rosamond, CA/Desert HS) walked with one out, advanced to third on a double by Katie McDermott (Fr., C/3B, Albuquerque, NM/Rio Rancho HS) and scored on an illegal pitch. NSU countered with one run in the bottom of the third inning, as Brown reached base on an error, moved to third on a single by Andrea Millarr and scored on a sacrifice fly by Stacie Harris.

Gay wasted little time in breaking the 2-2 tie in the seventh inning, as she belted a leadoff homer that easily cleared the left field fence. Cook batted next, and flew out to shortstop. Barajas then smacked another lengthy homer over the left field fence. Richardson added a double, but a pair of ground outs stopped the rally.

Rhoten faced just three batters in the bottom of the inning. She opened the stanza with back-to-back strikeouts, then forced Millarr to ground out to shortstop to end the game.
Runs were scarce in the game against Southeastern Oklahoma. ENMU scored a single run in the fourth inning and one SE Oklahoma runner crossed the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning, for the only runs prior to Eastern’s ninth-inning heroics.

Richardson set up Eastern’s first run with a leadoff double. Amanda Langford (Sr., OF, Mesquite, TX/Lon Morris JC) pinch ran for Richardson, and scored when Rhoten reached base on an error by the catcher. SOSU’s run was recorded by Kristin McNeece, who singled and later scored on a triple by Kimberly Nichols.

The teams started using the International Tie-Breaker in the eighth inning. The tie-breaker calls for the last batter of the previous inning to begin the new stanza at second base. Neither team scored in the eighth inning.

Barajas began the ninth inning as Eastern’s designated runner. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Richardson, but was unable to go home when Rhoten singled and advanced to second on an error. One batter later, Barajas scored on Murray’s sacrifice fly to center field.

SE Oklahoma started the bottom of the inning with Christina Cearley at second base. The Lady Savages advanced her to third base with a sacrifice bunt, but King forced back-to-back ground outs to secure the win.

Richardson was Eastern’s top hitter on the day, with three hits in seven at bats. She was 2 for 4 against Northeastern State. Murray was 2 for 3 against the NSU, helping the Zias amass nine hits against the Lady Reds. Eastern had six hits against Southeastern Oklahoma.