The Sul Ross State softball team was hoping to continue its magic into Saturday afternoon's series finale against the Hardin-Simmons University Cowgirls at the Lobo Softball Field.
Trailing 11-6, the Lobos rallied in the fifth by scoring five runs to trail by one run.
Despite the valiant comeback, Sul Ross State came up short by a score of 15-13.
>> HOW IT HAPPENED:
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom half of the first, the Lobos pushed across four runs to take a 4-1 lead.
Elizabeth Clemente delivered a clutch three RBI triple to right after
Samantha Chavez,
Toni Mishnick and
Lily Wiser hit back-to-back-to-back singles.
Clemente later scored on an error by the shortstop.
With two hits, the Cowgirls cut the deficit to one run by getting an RBI single and a walk with the bases loaded in the second.
Hardin-Simmons scored seven runs on six hits in the top of the third. Ella Salinas highlighted the inning with a two-run home run.
Down 10-4, the Lobos got two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two RBI double to left center by
Lily Wiser.
The Cowgirls answered back with a two RBI triple down the right field line by Addyson Kahklen in the top of the fifth.
Sul Ross State got a leadoff single by
Ciera Avila to start the bottom half of the fifth.
Adriana Hernandez then followed up with a single down the right field line.
Kyndell Garcia drove in a run with an infield single to short.
Madison Hodges came in to pinch hit and she hit a clutch RBI double to right center.
Chavez got the Lobos to within two runs when she hit a single to center that was bobbled by the centerfielder which allowed three runs to score.
Hardin-Simmons got some insurance runs in the top of the sixth when Emily Jacobs hit a two-run home run to dead center to make the score 14-10.
Kaitlynn Frakes cut the deficit to two runs for the Lobos in the bottom of the fifth when she hit a two RBI single through the right side to bring in Avila and
Samantha Bustos.
>> RECORDS: Hardin-Simmons (14-2); Sul Ross State (6-8)
>> GAME NOTES:
- The Lobos had 19 hits.
- Wiser finished 4 for 4 with three singles, a double and two RBI.
- Chavez went 3 for 5 with three singles and two RBI.
- Avila had three singles to go 3 for 4.
- Hernandez ended up going 2 for 3 with two singles.
- Clemente finished 1 for 5 with the triple and three RBI.
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos travel to Tucson, Ariz. for the Tucson Invitational Games beginning Tuesday, March 12 with two games against Salve Regina and the University of Hartford. Both games are at 5:30 p.m. CST and 8 p.m. CST at Lincoln Park's Field 6.