East Carolina University
New Mexico State
New Mexico State Comes Back For Victory
March 10, 2012 | Softball
March 10, 2012
Box Score | Box Score in PDF Format 
TEMPE, Ariz. - East Carolina took a 3-0 lead, but New Mexico State scored the game's final 10 runs to pick up a 14-5 victory over the Pirates Saturday afternoon at the Diamond Devil Invitational. A fourth-inning run-scoring single by Kelsey Dodd provided the winning run for the Aggies (16-10) before an eight-run seventh frame broke the contest open. Sophomore Jill Jelnick led the Pirate offense with three hits, a run batted in and another scored.
Freshman Sarah Christian (7-7) threw the first four innings and recorded the final three outs for five total frames pitched. In all, she surrendered 10 runs, eight earned, on 14 hits and three walks. She fanned a pair. Classmate Courtney Smith recorded six outs, allowing four runs on two hits and three free passes. Alex Newman went the initial one-and-a-third frames for New Mexico State, allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits. She also struck out one batter. Karysta Donisthorpe (4-1) picked up the win in the relief effort, limiting the Pirates to just three hits and a walk in the remaining five-and-two-thirds.
East Carolina (9-13) got off to a fast start with three runs in the bottom of the first inning for a 3-0 edge. Jelnick led off with a single to left field and classmate Rebecca Lee reached on a bunt single. A sacrifice bunt by sophomore Alex Fieldhouse moved the pair up a base before senior Suzanne Riggs singled to center field to drive in Jelnick and put runners on the corners with one out. With sophomore Jordan Lewis up to bat, Riggs took off for second base on a steal. Aggie catcher Brittany Clifton made the throw down to the bag and shortstop Kristi Covarrubia cut it off and threw back home to try and get Lee, who had headed home. Covarrubia's toss to the plate was wide, Lee was safe at home and Riggs moved all the way to third on the error. Lewis hit a sacrifice fly to left to deliver Riggs for a 3-0 advantage before a strikeout ended the inning.
New Mexico State answered immediately in the top of the second with four runs to go ahead 4-3. Staci Rodriguez hit a two-run home run to make it a 3-2 Pirate advantage. Following the long ball, Briana Tovio-Asato singled to the right side and Valerie Swedberg popped out to sophomore second baseman Kristi Oshiro. With two down, Clifton singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. A throwing error by Christian loaded the bases, and Covarrubia followed with a double to the gap in right center to give the Aggies the 4-3 advantage. Christian rebounded to retire Dodd on a fly out to Riggs in left to close the frame.
In the bottom of the second it was the Pirates with the response, scoring twice to regain the lead at 5-4. After a groundout started the frame, sophomore Chelsea Kaluhiokalani-Glackin singled through the left side and Oshiro followed with a triple to right center, driving in Kaluhiokalani-Glackin to tie the game. Jelnick delivered her second single of the game, this one to center field that drove in Oshiro to give ECU the lead again. A pop out on a bunt attempt by Lee and a groundout by Fieldhouse stopped the Pirate rally.
A two-out single by Tovio-Asato that drove in Tehani Kaaihue in the top of the third knotted the game again, this time at 5-5.
The Aggies took the lead once again in the top of the fourth at 6-5. Amber Olive led off with a single through the right side, stole second base and moved to third on a groundout by Covarrubia. A single to center by Dodd plated Olive for the New Mexico State lead. Kaaihue followed with a single to left center that put runners on first and second with one out. Christian avoided further damage with an inning-ending double play as Fieldhouse took a Malena Padilla grounder, stepped on third base and fired to first in time for the out.
In the top of the fifth, New Mexico State put a runner on second base with no outs, but was held off the scoreboard. Rodriguez reached on a fielding error by Fieldhouse to start the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Smith recovered with a groundout, strikeout and fly out to keep it a one-run game.
New Mexico State had another opportunity to score in the top of the sixth and again could not convert. Olive led off with a triple to center, but Smith recovered again with an infield pop out and a pair of groundouts.
ECU put a runner on base with two outs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings, with Riggs reaching on a fielding error and Kaluhiokalani-Glackin singling. A pop out in the fifth and strikeout in the sixth prevented the Pirates from scoring.
The Aggies put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh, scoring eight runs for the 14-5 final score. Padilla led off with a single and was replaced by pinch runner Shaleese Javillo. Three-straight walks to Rodriguez, Tovio-Asato and Swedberg forced in Javillo for a 7-5 lead. Christian re-entered for Smith and Clifton greeted her with a grand slam to left center to give NMSU the six-run advantage. After two singles and a fielder's choice left runners on first and second with one out, Kaaihue doubled off the wall in right center to deliver another run and Padilla followed with her second single of the frame to plate another run. An RBI groundout by Rodriguez made it a 14-5 advantage. A pop out to Oshiro in shallow right center ended the frame.
After a leadoff single by Jelnick, Donisthorpe retired the next three ECU batters to complete the victory.
The Pirates wrap up their spring break trip Sunday with a 12:00 p.m. ET contest against Valparaiso (11-7).
Post-Game Notes
-- Sophomore Kristi Oshiro entered Saturday's doubleheader with 20 runs batted in during her career. She tallied eight in the contests against Creighton and New Mexico State.
-- Sophomore Jill Jelnick tallied three hits in the game and has three multiple-hit contests in the last 10 tilts.
-- Sophomore Jordan Lewis has driven in one or more runs in five of the last seven games.
-- The grand slam by New Mexico State's Brittany Clifton was the first surrendered by the Pirates since Houston's Amanda Grote hit one April 12, 2008.
-- New Mexico State scored eight runs in the top of the seventh inning, the most allowed by East Carolina in a frame since Houston pushed across 10 in the third April 12, 2008.
-- The Pirates have been outscored 14-12 in the seventh frame this season.
-- The Aggies outhit East Carolina 16-8. This season, the Pirates are 7-0 when tallying more hits than the opponent, but just 2-12 when being outhit.
