Zias Split at Kingsville, 3-6 & 6-0, as Moreno Records Her 7th Shutout

Box Score - Game 1 - TAMUK 3, ENMU 6
Box Score - Game 2 - ENMU 6, TAMUK 0

KINGSVILLE, TEXAS — Rosemary Moreno’s (Sr., RHP, Midland, TX/Midland College) success in the Lone Star Conference South Division continued Friday, Apr. 14 as she pitched a five hit shutout in a 6-0 win for Eastern New Mexico University over Texas A&M University Kingsville at Hubert Field. The Zias lost the opener of the double-header 6-3 to end the day with a 30-17 overall record and 10-7 in the LSC South. The split gave the Javelinas a 7-8-1 conference record and a 20-25-1 overall record.

With four strikeouts in the win, Moreno moved into fourth place on the Zia all-time least and is tied with Jennifer Harrer (2000) with 30 appearances, third most in school history. Eastern took the lead for good in the first inning of the second game on a RBI single by Jessica Nocas (Sr., SS/Riverside, CA/Midland College). She remained in the top five in the LSC South in RBIs and is one of three Zias with over 40 RBIs this season. Tina Whitt (Sr., C, Riverside, CA/Midland College), who leads the LSC with 13 homers, and Kelsey Kubik (Jr., RF, Tucson, AZ/Pima College) are the other two Zias to have knocked in more than 40 runs this year. Kubik added two to her totals and Whitt drove in a single run in the win.

Natasha Lindsey (Sr., RHP, Aurora, WA/Tusculum College) had a tough outing in the opener, giving up a run in each of the first two innings and was relieved by Amanda Nightingale (Sr., RHP, Mesquite, TX/North Central Texas College) after allowing the first two batters to reach base in the third inning. Kingsville scored four runs in the third, including a two-RBI single by Erica Flores for a 6-0 lead. Eastern cut the deficit in half in the fifth inning on a three-run-homer by Kubik, her eighth of the season.

Eastern will continue its run to qualify for the LSC Playoffs with another double-header against TAMUK on Saturday, Apr. 15 beginning at 12 p.m. MST. ENMU will close out the regular season with a weekend four-game series at Zia Softball Field against Angelo State University on Friday and Saturday, Apr. 21 and Apr. 22. Both double-headers are scheduled for a 12 p.m. MST start.