PORTALIS, N.M. (March 23, 2025) – The University of Texas Permian Basin softball team fell victim to a pair of shutouts by the Eastern New Mexico University pitching staff, falling 4-0 and 6-0 to the Greyhounds on Sunday.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 0, ENMU 4):

• Three-straight two-out singles loaded the bases for ENMU in the bottom of the first inning before Jessica Cantrell (4-10) got flyout to left field to get out of the inning.
• The Falcons were held hitless with seven strikeouts in the first three innings.
• After a leadoff single up the middle followed by an errant throw from short to put two runners on base, a two-run double to left field by freshman Christina Meneses got the Greyhounds onto the scoreboard with no outs in the bottom of the third inning. Fortunately, a lineout double play doubling up Meneses at second base would bring an end to the inning.
• UTPB got its first hit in the top of the fifth when a single to left field by Lauren Lopez put two Falcons on base with two outs, but a swing-and-a-miss strike three ended the top of the inning.
• In the top of the sixth, UTPB got a leadoff single by Keri Sanford, and then with one out Carlee Quintero delivered a bunt single, but after noticing second base was unoccupied, Quintero tried to take an extra base and was thrown out on a controversial call in which the Greyhounds' center fielder dropped the ball on the tag.
• The top of the sixth then ended on the 11th strikeout of the game by ENMU freshman pitcher Miranda Guillen (7-4).
• ENMU doubled up its lead with a leadoff walk and a one-out home run to left field by another freshman, Emily Marsh, in the bottom of the sixth.
• In the end, Guillen allowed three hits, no runs and one walk while striking out 13 to earn the complete-game shutout win. Guillen recorded five innings with at least two strikeouts and had three 1-2-3 innings. The freshman tied a career-best in strikeouts, doing so in 104 pitches with four flyouts and three groundouts.
• For UTPB, Cantrell allowed seven hits, four total runs and three earned runs and had three walks and four strikeouts in six innings.

 
Game 2 (UTPB 0, ENMU 6):

• Starting pitcher Emery Aguilar (1-2) got three straight groundouts in a 1-2-3 bottom of the first inning, and then after a leadoff walk, got two more groundouts and a swinging strikeout to end the second inning.
• Aguilar did not allow a hit until a leadoff single in the bottom of the third, but two batters later, a first-pitch home run to left field by graduate student Aylene Lucero gave ENMU a 2-0 lead in the third inning for the second game in a row.
• This time, however, the Greyhounds would not stop at two runs in the third inning, loading the bases with one out after back-to-back walks and adding one more run on an RBI-groundout to second base. A popout to shortstop would leave two more runners in scoring position.
• Aguilar led off the fourth inning with a single to shortstop, her second hit of the game, but a lineout double play to the third baseman on the next at bat prevented a potential big inning by the UTPB offense as Kelsey Valo and Michaella Baker would follow with back-to-back two-out singles to left field. However, the Falcons would come up empty after a fielder's choice to third base.
• Back-to-back walks again by Aguilar loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth, but a lineout double play to second base allowed the Falcons to escape the Greyhounds' scoring threat.
• Taylor Ramirez would lead off the top of the fifth inning with a walk before stealing second base to put a runner in scoring position with nobody out. Ramirez advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lopez, but a flyout to center field and a popout to shortstop left a Falcon runner in scoring position for the second inning in a row.
• ENMU loaded the bases after back-to-back walks for the third inning a row in the bottom of the fifth, but a flyout to left field got Aguilar out of it and kept the deficit at 3-0.
• The UTPB offense, however, was unable to help Aguilar as it left a runner in scoring position for the third inning in a row in the sixth.
• In the bottom of the sixth, a leadoff double, a throwing error at shortstop and a walk loaded the bases for the Greyhounds for the fourth inning in a row. This time, Meghan Gattis came in to replace Aguilar in the circle, but ENMU came up with a two-run single and a sacrifice fly.
• After doubling up its lead from 2-0 to 4-0 in the sixth inning of game one, ENMU doubled up its lead from 3-0 to 6-0 in the sixth inning of game two.
• ENMU scored runs in bunches, scoring all of its runs on the day in just four innings while the pitching staff shutout the Falcons over 14 innings.
• In game two, ENMU finished with six runs on seven hits and eight walks while UTPB was held scoreless on six hits. The Greyhounds had seven hits and exactly one double and one home run in both games on the day
• ENMU's Jordan Rivera (6-2) picked up the win and allowed five hits and one walk in four innings while Marissa Rodriguez earned her third save of the season after allowing just one hit and no walks in the final three innings.
• Aguilar and Valo were both 2-for-3 for the Falcons at the plate in game two.

 
Team Records:

• UTPB falls to 6-28 overall and 1-23 in the Lone Star Conference. The Falcons are now 1-14 in away games this season, including an 0-12 mark on the road in the conference action.
• ENMU, meanwhile, improves to 20-14 and 13-11 and has three shutout wins in a row.

 
Next Up: UTPB returns home next weekend to host No. 4 nationally-ranked Angelo State University starting at 3 p.m. / 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 28.