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Box Score 4 Hobbs, N.M.—The OPSU Softball team improved their record to 5-4 after taking a four-game road sweep of the University of the Southwest Tuesday and Wednesday.
All four contests were won in seven innings with the Aggies claiming victory over the Mustangs by scores of 7-3, 7-4, 9-6 and 12-7. The hits just kept on coming as OPSU batters knocked out 50 hits in the series including ten doubles, one triple and two homeruns. Thirty RBI were spread out among ten hitters and the Aggie pitching crew held their opponent to a 7.71 ERA and a .298 batting average over the four games.
Julia Ibarra was first up in the circle for OPSU in Tuesday's game one; she earned her first win as an Aggie in seven innings allowing eight hits and two earned runs. Two strikeouts were served by Ibarra.
Anyssa Barbosa got the first hit of the day as the leadoff hitter in the first inning, but USW struck-out one and put two out at short stop to end the inning scoreless for the Aggies. Ibarra allowed just three runs on her watch; the Mustangs scored one run each in innings two, five and seven.
With two outs in the second, Barbosa stepped up with a two-run single putting the Aggies on the board. At the top of the third
Madison Heathington, bat still hot from the weekend, dinged a double to left field and was later brought home by centerfielder
Sarah Gregori, who singled sending in two Aggies to put the team on top 4-1. The Aggies were kept quiet through innings four and five, but
Criselda Luna brought the noise in the sixth on two outs, driving a double up the middle for two RBI. The Aggies' seventh run of the game came from pinch hitter
Jackie Sanchez who hit single to score Gregori from second base. The Mustangs brought through one runner in the seventh, but the Aggies had sealed the win 7-3.
Game two started off a little slower with the Aggies scoring single runs in innings two and four; the Mustangs were held scoreless through the fourth thanks to OPSU starting pitcher
Criselda Luna. Luna got her second win of the season putting in a full seven innings of work. She allowed just three hits in the opening three innings and tossed five strikeouts on the game. Luna finished with ten hits and four earned runs.
Sarah Gregori and
Faith Guzman kept the defense on their toes in the top of the second; Gregori was walked to first and stole second as Guzman advanced on an error by second base on a sacrifice. Gregori advanced to third on the throw and then Guzman made away with second; both runners commenced to advancing on a ground-out with Gregori stealing home for the first run of the game.
Leading off at the top of the fourth, Heathington delivered her fifth homerun of the season over centerfield giving the Aggies a 2-0 edge. A run for USW in the bottom of the fifth stirred up the strikers for OPSU and the Aggies came out with five runs in the sixth inning. With two away,
Daisy Recinos subbed in as a pinch hitter and really came through in a pinch! Recinos broke out a triple to left field bringing Gregori in from first base. Ibarra then reached on error giving Recinos the go-ahead to score. After a passed ball, walked batter and a single by Villarreal loaded the bases, Barbosa brought home two more Aggie runners on a deep single down the left side. With Villarreal on second, Luna sent another ball into left field to score the fifth run for OPSU that inning. USW went for the rally scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but a scoreless seventh clinched a three-run win for the Aggies (7-4).
Wednesday's game one gave the Mustangs their first taste of a lead as they were up on the Aggies 2-1 after the opening inning. OPSU's Heathington put an end to that with a two-run double on two outs in the top of the second. All three opening Aggie batters were sat down in the third and USW pulled back ahead scoring one run in the bottom of the inning. Barbosa and Heathington each earned RBIs in the fourth and OPSU was back on top 5-3. A three-run bottom-half for the Mustangs prompted a pitching change for the Aggies. Freshman
Janna Ruether was replaced by Luna after 4.0 innings with ten hits and six earned runs. Luna landed her third Aggie win giving up zero hits and zero runs in ten at-bats.
Two doubles in the top of the fifth led to three runs for the Aggies and another lead change that put OPSU up two runs (8-6). Heathington hit her second double of the day in the sixth and scored on an RBI single by Ibarra to seal the 9-6 victory for the visiting team. The seventh inning saw no runs come through for either side.
In the final game of the series, almost every Aggie bat saw action as OPSU hitters totaled a season-high of 15 hits in the seven-inning matchup. The Aggies notched a 12-7 win thanks to the huge third inning performance that brought eight runs in on eight hits. Down 1-4 after two innings of play, the Aggies led off the top of the third going three for three at the plate and sent two runners home;
Anyssa Barbosa opened with a single followed by
Criselda Luna and
Madison Heathington who each hit doubles.
Sarah Gregori then tied the game at 4-4 sending Heathington home on a single to right field. With one out on a sacrifice by
Ashby Williams,
Julia Ibarra was walked to load the bases.
Ashley Jarzombek advanced after being hit by a pitch which scored another run for the Aggies. A single by
Danielle Villarreal brought Gregori through and, back to the top of the order with still one out, Barbosa sent Ibarra home with a single to shortstop. Luna and Heathington brought in the final two runs which gave the Aggies a 9-4 lead.
Luna, who got the start for OPSU, pitched through two outs in the bottom of the third before being relieved by Ibarra. The Aggies scored two more runs in the fourth off a double by Jarzombek and an error by left field. Ibarra gave up two runs to the Mustangs in the bottom of the inning and another in the sixth, but the Aggies held an 11-7 lead going into the final inning. With one away,
Darcie Wilson hit her second homer of the season to left field to score the last run of the day. The Aggies took the sweep with a five-run victory over USW.
OPSU Softball broke through the .500 mark with the win and now holds a season record of 5-4, getting off to a great start in 2016. For the series the Aggies were led by the bats of
Darcie Wilson and
Madison Heathington. Wilson averaged .588 in hitting and went 10 of 17 with two doubles and one homerun for three RBI. Heathington went nine of 18 for a.500 average; she totaled four doubles and one homerun for six RBI. Barbosa also brought in six RBI and Luna finished with five. From the field the Aggies averaged .934 fielding percentage. Wilson totaled 34 putouts from first base; Heathington had 13 putouts and one assist at catcher and
Ashley Jarzombek fielded 21 balls with seven putouts and 13 assists at shortstop.
The Aggies currently lead the Heartland Conference standings in batting with a combined batting average of .350 and a slugging percentage of .544. Heathington, Wilson and Barbosa currently sit in the top of the conference ranks in runs scored, hits, home runs and at bats. OPSU batters hold the number one spot in twelve conference categories. In pitching
Criselda Luna and
Julia Ibarra also place high in the Heartland ranks with Ibarra sitting fourth in ERA, third in innings pitched and fourth in batters struck out;
Criselda Luna leads the league in innings pitched and sits second in batters struck out, struck out looking and wins. OPSU's defense shows strengths in the standings as well with Wilson currently leading the conference in putouts and Jarzombek holding first in assists. Ibarra owns the top spot for fielding percentage with 15 catches for 14 putouts and one assists with zero errors on the season.
It looks like Aggie Softball fans are in for a fun season ahead! The team will remain on the road through the end of February and will open at home on March 2 with a double-header against New Mexico Highlands. Heartland Conference action will start on Feb. 26-27 as the Aggies compete against last year's league champions and NCAA DII South Central Region Champions, St. Mary's University, in San Antonio, Texas. Their first HC home matchup is set for March 18-19 versus St. Edward's University.
