FULLERTON, Calif. – The University of New Mexico softball team dropped its first two games of the Easton Tournament Friday afternoon, falling 4-3 in eight innings to Arkansas and 6-1 to No. 6 ranked Alabama.
It was a tight start to the day as the Lobos went into their first extra-inning game of the year. The Lobos did get out to an early start scoring a run in the first inning off a double to left from junior Jasmine Casados that scored freshman Cheyenne Smith.
The Lobos put up two more runs in the third to take a 3-0 lead over Arkansas. Mariah Rimmer doubled down the left field line and scored on Casados second double of the game. Casados then came around and scored off Jade Gray’s single to left center.
Arkansas wasn’t going down easy as they started to get to freshman starter Colette Robert. The Razorbacks scored two in the fourth and one in the sixth.
Neither team could get anything going in the seventh to send the game into extras and using the international tiebreak.
Gray was sent to second to start the inning. With one out, Breland walked. The next struck out but Smith walked to load the bases with two outs and DeFlora up to bat. DeFlora grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning, giving Arkansas a chance to take the game.
Robert forced the first two batters to ground out but a single scored the runner from second to end the game.
Robert took the loss, dropping to 7-4 on the season. In 7.2 innings of work, she allowed four runs, one earned, off six hits while striking out six.
At the plate, the Lobos were led by Casados. She went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, two doubles and a run scored.
In game two, the Lobos struggled to get more offense going but they did get on the board first over the nationally ranked Crimson Tide.
The Lobos plated one in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Michala Erickson doubled and advanced to third on Karissa Haleman’s single to right center. The Lobos put on a squeeze play and it was successful as Breland put down the bunt to score Erickson.
Senior Lauren Soles kept Alabama off balance as they did not score until the fourth inning. But Alabama put together three runs in the fourth and three more insurance runs off Krissy Fortner in the sixth take claim the win.
Soles took the loss in the circle, dropping to 3-4 on the season. She allowed three runs off seven hits while striking out two and walking two in 3.1 innings of work. Fortner allowed three runs in 2.2 innings off two hits.
At the plate, the Lobos had only four hits coming from Rimmer, Erickson, Haleman and Breland.
The Lobos are now 13-10 on the season and will continue the Easton Tournament tomorrow as they take on No. 22 ranked Nebraska at noon and DePaul at 2:30 p.m.