ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico softball team showed something against Northern Colorado in its doubleheader sweep on Saturday afternoon. When UNM’s offense, defense and pitching are all clicking, they are tough to beat.
UNM proved that against the Bears Saturday afternoon, putting together some timely hits, excellent starting pitching and spectacular defense to sweep the first two games of a three-game series, winning 7-3 and 8-3 to improve to 10-7 on the season, while dropping Northern Colorado to 3-10 on the season.
In game one, UNM got another solid start from Colette Robert (5-3) who went six innings and allowed three runs on just four hits without walking a batter and striking out three. She held the Bears at bay through the first three innings, allowing UNM to get two runs in the second and third. To open things up, Brooke Breland hit the first of her three game one doubles to drive in Tess McPherson, and then Breland came around on a single that ticked off the glove of shortstop Erica Dick.
In the third, Rimmer tripled and scored on a Casados double, and after she crossed to third on a groundout, McPherson rapped an infield single off the pitcher to make it 4-0. The Bears got to Robert in the fourth, scoring two on a two-out double by Rachel Johnson, but the Lobos answered right back when Breland doubled and scored on an error.
In the fifth, Breland’s third double drove in McPherson to make it 6-2, and then Michaela Erickson scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-2. A solo home run for Lauren Page of UNC accounted for the final score. Krissy Fortner relieved Robert and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.
In game two, McPherson took to the circle and pitched brilliantly, keeping the Bears off the board until the sixth inning, plenty of time for UNM to get its offense going. Scoreless into the fourth, Casados ended that deadlock with a mammoth two-run home run that nearly cleared the left field bleachers.
Then UNM broke it open in the fifth. UNM loaded the bases on a Carlie McGarrigle double and walks to Shelbie Franc and Cheyenne Smith. A wild pitch moved everyone 60 feet to make it 3-0 and a walk to Rimmer loaded them up again. Casados then made it 5-0 with a single to left, moving to second on the throw home. After a pitching change, Rimmer scored on an illegal pitch, and Chelsea Johnson hit a screamer to right that was snow-coned for a long and loud sacrifice fly to make it 7-0.
McPherson (2-1) lost the shutout in the sixth when she loaded the bases on a single and two walks, giving way to Lauren Soles. Soles struck out her first batter but back-to-back singles made it 7-3 with two runners on base. UNM then caught a break when Sarah Fitzherbert’s bunt hit her bat outside the box for an out, forcing the runners back to first and second. Casados then made a diving catch on a screamer to third to end the inning.
While UNM tacked on one more run on a Rimmer single, Casados’ catch was just one of several stellar defensive plays in the game. Rimmer twice crashed into the outfield wall making catches in the gap, Casados had her diving catch, and Franc had two diving plays at second. That doesn’t even take into account Erickson twice robbing UNC of singles with two tough defensive picks and throws from deep short.
“Defensively we were outstanding,” said head coach Erica Beach. “We have talked to our pitchers about not giving up runs early and giving our offense a chance to give us the lead, but our defense really picked us up today.”
Beach added, “I thought we were very good offensively and defensively and we really got nice days from our two starting pitchers.”
UNM will go for the sweep of Northern Colorado on Sunday morning with a 10 a.m. start time at Lobo Softball Field.
Notes: Brooke Breland had one double all season before hitting three in game one … UNM left nine runners on base to four for UNC in game one. In game two it was the exact opposite with UNM leaving four and Northern Colorado nine … McPherson’s win was her second of the season after winning just two games her first two seasons at UNM.