The 2024 softball season has entered its final week for the Sul Ross State Lobos.
On Friday afternoon, the Lobos took on the third-ranked East Texas Baptist University Tigers for a doubleheader at the Lobo Softball Field.
Sul Ross State was up 3-0 to start Game 1 until the Tigers rallied for 11 runs in the top of the third to eventually pull away with the 15-3 victory in five innings.
In Game 2, the Tigers scored quickly, leading 4-0 before they scored three runs in the top of the fifth to take the contest, 8-1.
>> GAME 1:
Facing off against the top pitcher in the American Southwest Conference, ETBU's Hannah Benavides entered the game with an ERA of 0.88.
The Lobo offense got on the board first on an RBI double to left by
Lily Wiser.
Madison Hodges then drove in Wiser with a single through the left side.
ETBU went down in order in the top of the second as
Leanza Chambers had only allowed one hit through two innings.
Sul Ross State added another run in the bottom half of the second with an RBI single to center from
Samantha Chavez.
The Tigers sent 17 batters to the plate in the top of the third as they tallied nine hits to take an 11-3 lead.
ETBU pushed across four more runs in the top of the fifth to enforce the run-rule. Shelby Navarrete highlighted the inning with a three-RBI double to left.
>> RECORDS: ETBU (33-2); Sul Ross State (14-22)
>> GAME NOTES:
- Chavez went 2 for 4 with two singles and an RBI.
- Toni Mishnick, Kyndell Garcia and Hodges all went 1 for 2 with a single. Hodges tallied her 10th RBI of the season.
- Wiser had a double to go 1 for 3 with an RBI.
>> GAME 2:
The Lobos were held to four hits.
ETBU got an RBI single in the first and an RBI double in the second to lead 2-0.
During the top of the third, the Tigers used four hits to push across three runs to extend their lead to 5-0.
Madalyn Melton belted a three-run home run to left center to make the score 8-0 in the top of the fifth.
The Lobos erased the shutout in the bottom half of the fifth when
Vivian Jimenez hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring in
Alisandria Garcia.
>> RECORDS: ETBU (34-2); Sul Ross State (14-23)
>> GAME NOTES:
- Mishnick, Wiser and Elizabeth Clemente each went 1 for 3 with a single.
- Adriana Hernandez had an infield pinch-hit single in the fifth to go 1 for 1.
- Regardless of the outcome of the series finale, the Lobos will post their first winning record at home since 2022.
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos conclude the season with a single game against ETBU at 11 a.m. CDT on Saturday, May 4.
