Sunday, February 07, 2010

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - Seniors Alex Mayo Otis (DP, Phoenix, Ariz./St. Mary's HS) and Kimberly Crouse (RF, Round Rock, Texas/Hill College, Round Rock HS) combined to bat four-for-six with four runs batted in to lift the Eastern New Mexico University softball team (3-4) to an 8-4 victory over Cameron University (2-3), Sunday morning at the St. Mary's Classic at the San Antonio Independent School District Spring Sports Complex. The win snapped a three-game skid for the Zias in their series with Cameron, with their last victory over the Aggies came on February 15, 2002, by a 6-1 score.

Eastern scored early and often, sending eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning, starting with Mayo Otis drawing a leadoff walk. One stolen base and two outs later, Michelle Anderson (Sr., 3B, Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) gave ENMU a lead it would not relinquish with a RBU single, and scored on Taylor Howard's (Jr., 1B, Midland, Texas/Midland College/Midland Lee HS) RBI double. After Howard scored on a Melissa Williams (So., SS, Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) single, Crouse drove in the final run of the inning to give ENMU a 4-0 lead.

A Mayo Otis single, followed by back-to-back doubles from Rebecca Quiñones (Sr., 2B, Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS) and Kristen Cruickshank (Sr., P, Glendale, Ariz./Deer Valley HS) pushed the Zia lead to 6-0, while Cruickshank did not allow a runner in scoring position through the first four innings of the game, as catcher Samantha Davis (So., Farmington, N.M./Farmington HS) tossed out leadoff hitter Leslie Martini in the fourth, during an attempted steal of second base.

Each team scored a single run in the fourth and fifth inning, but the Aggies capitalized on an ENMU error in the top of the seventh to plate two runs and trim their deficit to 8-4. Relief pitcher, Amanda Lale (Fr., P, Mesquite, Texas/Horn HS) retired the next two batters to end the contest.

The Zias out hit Cameron by a 12-8 margin, while Quiñones extended her hitting streak to five games. Cruickshank earned her third win of the season, scattering four hits over five innings, striking out three and walking three.

The Eastern New Mexico University softball team will travel to Lubbock Christian on Friday to open a four game series with the Chaparrals. The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. MST.