Final Box

PORTALES, N.M. – The cold air and gray skies did not slow down Angelo State's high powered offense, as the Rambelle softball team earned a 15-10 victory over Eastern New Mexico in a Lone Star Conference affair on Saturday. Carly Peters launched a pair of home runs in the win, while Elsamartina Apo went 4-for-5 and raised her batting average to .508.  
 
The Belles' (20-3, LSC 4-0) offense wasted no time, scoring five runs in the top of the first. Apo and April Breshears had consecutive RBI-singles, but the highlight of the inning came from the bat of Peters. With runners on first and second, the sophomore hit a three-run blast over the center-field fence at Zia Field, which put Angelo State up 5-0.
 
“It was a great start to the game,” Angelo State head coach Travis Scott said. “We were patient at the plate, and our players stepped up and had some clutch hits.”
 
The Zias (6-14, 1-3 LSC) looked to trim the deficit in the bottom half, as they loaded the bases with no outs. ASU's starting pitcher Mary Kate McKay – who went 2.1 innings – allowed just one run, as the sophomore induced a double play to work herself out of the jam.
 
Angelo State stretched its lead to 7-1 after Breshears scored on a first and third situation. The Belles lead would quickly evaporate in the bottom of the third, as ENMU scored seven runs on six hits to take an 8-7 advantage.  
 
“We knew (the Zias) had to get us out 21 times, and that we have a lot more at bats left,” Scott said. “It was a little discouraging, but there's no quit in this team, and the girls wasted no time getting those runs back.”
 
The momentum swung back into the Angelo State dugout half an inning later thanks to DeeshanaLynn Tafiti. With runners on second and third and one out, the senior laced a two-run single up the middle to give ASU a 9-8 lead.
 
After the Zias tied it up 9-9, the Belles scored six runs in the fifth inning to break the game open (15-9). Peter's began the inning with her second home run of the day, while Tafiti – the league's top run producer – had another two-run single. Tafiti now has 40 RBIs on the year.
 
Claire Molina (11-2) picked up the win for ASU, as the senior tossed 4.2 innings of work with four strikeouts.
 
The two teams will return to the diamond for a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Listen live as Ben Ely will provide play-by-play on 1260AM KKSA and on AngeloSports.com