April 10, 2011
Lobo Softball – At Lobo Field
Sunday: Lobos 2, UNLV 1
Up Next: Sat-Sun (April 16-17) At Colorado State
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
It’s quite possible that the next time Lobo fans see Lobo coach Erica Beach, her hair will be a slightly darker color. And the gray – if there really was any – will be all washed away.
Thanks to Kaela DeBroeck.
“I gave her a few more gray hairs, so she can go back and dye it a little darker,” said DeBroeck through a wide and winning grin Sunday at Lobo Field following UNM’s 2-1 Mountain West Conference win over UNLV.
A key moment in UNM’s first MWC win of the season – and Beach’s first-ever as a Lobo coach – came in the top of the second inning when Beach strolled out to the circle to talk to her right-handed sophomore.
DeBroeck was in a jam of her own making – bases loaded, no outs, and UNM was sitting on a nice 2-0 lead thanks to a two-run jump in the bottom of the first inning.
“One of the Cardinal sins of pitching is to walk the leadoff batter,” said Beach. “When she put a runner on and then gave up a hit, and then walked another batter, I went out there and said, `Look, you are making me age prematurely. So, can you get me out of this because this is going to make me gray.’
“She stepped up, struck the next three batters out and got out of the inning with no runs scored. I couldn’t be prouder of that. That’s toughness. That’s pure mental toughness.”
DeBroeck got out of the jam the best possible way a pitcher can pluck herself out of trouble – with strikeouts. Three Rebels faced DeBroeck’s mean mixture of movement and location, and three Rebels walked back to the dugout beaten.
It was huge since the Lobos never again scored and UNLV reached the scoreboard in the fourth with a solo home run by Kylie Wagner.
“She told me we have to get these next (outs) and stop the bleeding,” DeBroeck said of Beach’s second-inning message. “She told me I needed to get tougher. It was nice for her to come out (to the circle) and break up the momentum a little bit.”
Said Coach Beach: “Kaela pitched a great game. It’s a very tough lineup. She was good at keeping them off balance and mixing up her pitches and really just getting it done. Our defense had her back all game. They made some amazing plays. We were just solid behind her.”
The Rebs never really challenged again to massage together a big inning, but neither did the Lobos. DeBroeck went the distance striking out five and holding the UNLV bats to only two hits – a single in the second and the solo shot in the fourth.
UNLV’s Amanda Oliveto, who beat UNM 3-1 on Saturday, pitched a solid game with five strikeouts against five hits, but UNM jumped on her early to produce the 2-0 lead that held up. The big blow in the bottom of the first inning came off the bat of Danielle Castro, who knocked in Kaity Ingram and Kerry Hodgins.
Ingram went 3-for-3 on the afternoon with a run scored. Those three Lobos produced all five of UNM’s hits vs. UNLV.
“It definitely makes it easier for our pitchers when we score early for them,” said Ingram, a transfer out of Tucson, Ariz. “It was a team effort out there. Kaela pitched a great game. Our defense did a great job.
“It’s just a huge relief off our back to get this first win. This is a huge momentum builder for the team.”
Said Beach: “It was great growth for our team as far as getting an early lead and holding on. That’s something we’ve struggled with earlier in the season.”
The win pushes UNM to 15-17 on the season and 1-2 in MWC play. The Lobos visit Colorado State this coming Saturday and Sunday. UNLV falls to 20-14 and 2-1 in league play. “Coming back from the other two games (losses) was huge for us,” said DeBroeck.
The Lobos had dropped their MWC opener Friday night 8-0 to San Diego State. UNLV got the 3-1 win on Saturday and it was important for the young Lobos to pick up a win on the opening weekend of league play.
“Our coaches preached to us that it’s a new day,” said Ingram. “Whatever happens the day before, whether we win, whether we lose, we just kind of flush it. We come out and it’s a new day and we’re us every day and just go out there and play Lobo softball.”
The UNLV bats were quiet most of the afternoon and DeBroeck’s control of the strike zone improved with each inning. After the second inning, there was no need for Beach to stroll out to the circle or check her hair for a change in color.
“I’m mixing spots. I’m mixing locations. I’m mixing spins. I’m mixing speeds,” said Beach of her pitch calling from the dugout. “(Kaela) hit her spots really well. She kept them off balance.
“When they were expecting in, we threw out. When they were expecting out, we threw in. It’s easy to call pitches when your pitcher is hitting her spots and doing what you want her to do.”