Seeing a walk-off grand slam go against them made for a tough Saturday for the Skyhawks.
The Fort Lewis College softball team dropped the first two of four games at Western New Mexico, 8-4 and 5-2, in Silver City, New Mexico. The Mustangs (10-11, 7-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) rallied with five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning in the first game, including a game-winning grand slam off the bat of Samantha Munoz.
The Mustangs hit five home runs in the game, including Mariangela Garcia’s solo blast in the seventh that tied the game at 4.
Munoz was 3-for-4 at the plate with three homers and six runs batted in.
“I think there are days when batters are just feeling it, where the ball looks as big as a beach ball. I definitely think it was like that for (Munoz on Saturday),” FLC head coach Kira Zeiter said.
All of FLC’s (6-11, 4-2 RMAC) runs in the first game came in the first two innings. Tristen Gilbert hit a sacrifice fly to score Adriana Rosthenhausler, and a Jeovonna Rios single to center field scored Myndee Thompson to five FLC a 2-0 lead after one inning.
Missy Fundora doubled in Nikki Klepfer in the second, and Thompson followed with a double to score Rosthenhausler to make it 4-0 FLC after two innings.
Victoria Johnson (4-4) took the loss in the circle for FLC in Game 1. She pitched the entire game and gave up 13 hits and earned all eight runs. She walked two and struck out two and hit one batter with a pitch. Mary Jo Granger (4-4) earned the win in the circle for the Mustangs. She also allowed 13 hits while walking three and striking out two.
The Skyhawks’ offense struggled to get going in Game 2. Zeiter said the team hit the ball well but right at the Mustangs’ defense.
“We pride ourselves in moving to the next pitch, the next game. Obviously, we always want to win, but I don’t think the way we lost the first game impacted us in the second,” Zeiter said. “Game 2 came down to one big two-out hit for Western. They scored three runs right there, otherwise it is a different game at that point.”
Rosthenhausler doubled in the top of the first and later scored on a Thompson single up the middle. FLC added one run in the top of the seventh, when a Thompson single scored Fundora.
Western New Mexico’s big inning came in the bottom of the fourth, when the Mustangs scored all five of their runs. After FLC recorded two quick outs, a single by Kymbra Espinosa started the rally. With the bases loaded, Linzy Granger singled to score Espinosa. Garcia then singled in another run, and a double by Stephanie Higgins plated two more runs.
Olivia Goldberg then relieved Kiley Raica in the circle for FLC. Raica (2-4) took the loss for FLC after giving up eight hits and five earned runs. She walked four and struck out two. Goldberg pitched 2 1/3 innings and didn’t give up a hit while walking two.
FLC’s four games scheduled for last weekend were cancelled because of a snow storm. After two weeks without games, the Skyhawks were just eager to get on the field again, and they’ll look for two wins Sunday to come home with a split.
“It felt good to be outside on a nice day again,” Zeiter said. “We’ll be just as excited (Saturday), and the plan is to get that split.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
