BROWNWOOD — The Sul Ross State softball team dropped a pair of close games to Howard Payne on Friday afternoon at Lady Jackets Park.
>> GAME 1:
Sul Ross came out with a 4-0 lead in the top of the third.
Camryn Hardin delivered a two-RBI single while
Jaelyn Zuniga drove in a pair of runs with a double to center field to highlight the inning.
After a leadoff double by
Adriana Hernandez in the top of the fourth,
Lisbeth Dominguez advanced pinch-runner
Hannah Clark to third with a sacrifice bunt.
Kyndell Garcia then drove in Clark with a groundout to short to increase the Lobo lead to 5-0.
On four hits, Howard Payne pushed across four runs to trail by one in the bottom half of the fourth.
The Yellow Jackets then took the lead in the fifth by tacking on three runs on three hits.
Sul Ross tallied 10 hits.
Hardin finished 2 for 3 with two singles and two RBI while Zuniga drove in two runs to go 2 for 4 with a single and a double.
Veronica Rodriguez hit a single in the fifth to end up 1 for 4. Hernandez also went 1 for 4 with the double.
Annika Canaba had a single to go 1 for 4 while Garcia finished 1 for 3.
Samantha Chavez was walked twice to go 1 for 2 with a double.
Leanza Chambers earned the no-decision after she allowed eight hits in four innings.
Briannah Mejias faced four batters in 1/3 of an inning.
Madilyn Martinez tossed 1.2 innings not allowing a single run.
>> GAME 2:
Similar to the first game, Sul Ross took an early lead in Game 2.
Nadia Valverde got the Lobos on the board with an RBI single in the top of the first. Sul Ross then pushed across a run on an error by the second baseman.
Zuniga later delivered an RBI single to right to make the score 3-0.
The Yellow Jackets cut the lead to one after scoring two runs in the bottom half of the first.
On an RBI single by Zuniga, the Lobos extended their lead to 4-2 in the second inning.
Taking advantage of an error, Sul Ross scored two more runs in the top of the third. Canaba had a clutch two-RBI double in the frame.
Sul Ross grew its lead to five runs by pushing across two runs in the top of the fourth. Zuniga hit an RBI single down the right field line to bring in Hardin.
On a first and third situation, Zuniga was able to steal home.
Howard Payne fought back to trail by one run after it rallied for four runs in the fifth.
On a fielding error by the centerfielder in the top of the sixth, Sul Ross was able to score two runs to make the score 10-7.
Howard Payne unfortunately had another rally. This time the Yellow Jackets scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away for the victory.
Five Lobos had a multi-hit performance while stringing together 15 total hits.
Zuniga finished a perfect 4 for 4 with four singles and three RBI. Canaba went 3 for 5 with two singles, a double and two RBI.
Valverde and Hardin each finished 2 for 5 with a combined four singles and an RBI.
Garcia tallied two singles to go 2 for 4.
Chavez extended her hitting streak to 15 games as she went 1 for 5 with a single and two runs scored.
Hunter Montes got the start in the circle as she threw 2.1 innings allowing two earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts.
Martinez came in for relief, throwing 3.2 innings.
>> RECORDS: Sul Ross (9-16, 7-13); Howard Payne (12-20, 5-15)
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos conclude the three-game series with Howard Payne with a single game at 12 p.m. Saturday, April 22.
