The Chase

Issue date: 3/23/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Stephanie Stewart Eastern New Mexico University was unable to stop a seventh-inning explosion of 12 runs by Tarleton State University during the third game of a three-game series at Zia Softball Field.

Media Credit: Stephanie Stewart Eastern New Mexico University was unable to pick up a win against Tarleton State University over the weekend at Zia Softball Field.

Senior second baseman Rebecca Quinones cracked a three-run home run in Saturday's game against Tarleton State at Zia Softball Field. The homer gave Eastern New Mexico University the early lead until the seventh inning. The TexAnns exploded for 12 runs in the top of the seventh to pull out the 15-10 victory over ENMU in the series finale.

The loss was Eastern's third in the three-game series sweep to Tarleton.

"They have great hitters and they happened to come up (at top of the seventh inning).We tried all the pitchers to get them out," said Amber Daniel, the head coach of ENMU. "We walked a lot of hitters. It's hard when the great hitters are coming up."

The Zias took an early leading in the bottom of the third inning with singles from Jessica Pacheco and Amanda Terry. One hitter later, Laura Thompson singled to center field. The hit plated Pacheco and Terry and gave Eastern a 2-0 lead.

Tarleton intentionally walked Kristen Cruickshank, ENMU's hottest hitter, later that inning - bad decision.

Quinones followed Cruickshank's walk with a three-run homer and pushed the Zia lead to 5-0. Eastern gave back three runs in the top of the fourth inning to cut the lead to 5-3.

"Game plays don't really change. But we still have to work hard, a lot harder," Daniel said.

The scoreboard didn't change much through the fifth and sixth innings, but Tarleton made good use of it in the seventh. The TexAnns offense exploded in the inning to the tune of 12 runs on 10 hits.

The exclamation point of the outburst was a Bradley Tamra single that fluttered into center field helped Tarleton tie the game. Senior third baseman Brittnee Rice knocked two two-run homers in the inning to push the lead out of reach.

Coach Daniel and the Zias changed pitchers three times to try to stop further damage in the game, but it didn't work. The TexAnns' whole lineup batted twice in the top of last frame.

The Zias didn't let the offensive outburst by Tarleton get them down. Cruickshank belted a double to left-center field that scored Thompson. With bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, a Samantha Davis infield single scored Alex Mayo Otis.

Pacheco followed the RBI with two of her own to cut the deficit to15-9.

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