When: Thursday – 5 p.m. (MT), Friday – 5 p.m. (MT), Saturday – Noon (MT)
Who: Nevada Wolf Pack
GoLobos.com: Live stats, live stream, box score, postgame recap and stats
Video: LoboTV will stream all three games live and they can be found at GoLobos.com
Promotions: Thursday will be 80s day. Dress in 80s fashion and received a discounted ticket of $3. After the game Saturday, the team will be available for autographs and during the second inning there will be the annual Egg Hunt.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – After winning back-to-back Mountain West series the past two weekends for the first time since the three-game series was put into play, the University of New Mexico softball team will look to its first home MW series to continue that momentum as it hosts Nevada this weekend at Lobo Softball Field.
Historically, Nevada has been a struggle for the Lobos as the Wolf Pack has an 8-0 all-time record against the Lobos. The past two seasons, the Lobos have lost all three games of both series. Last season the Lobos fell by a combined score of 24-6 in a combined 18 innings.
But this season, the Lobos will look to continue its hot Mountain West start and look to claim its first-ever victory over Nevada.
Nevada comes into the series with a 11-21 overall record and currently sits in sixth place in the Mountain West standings with a 1-2 record.
The Lobos come into the series with their best record since the 2012 season, 20-15 and best start in the Mountain West since the 2008 season with a 4-2 record. That marks puts the Lobos in a tie for third in the MW standings along with Fresno State.
Nevada is hitting .299 to the Lobos .305 average and the Lobos have a earned run average at 3.93 compared to the Wolf Pack’s 4.91 average.
The Lobos will look to keep Nevada’s best hitter off the bases as senior Karley Hopkins leads the Wolf Pack with a .372 average. Thus far this season, she has 42 hits which include nine doubles and a triple. She leads the squad with 20 runs scored in 32 games started.
In the circle, the Lobos will most likely face the Wolf Pack’s ace McKenna Isenberg. She is 5-9 on the season with a 3.93 earned run average. In 99.2 innings, she has allowed 71 runs off 108 hits while striking out 62 and walking 35.
MAKE IT TWO SERIES WINS
The Lobos claimed their second straight Mountain West series victory at UNLV which is the first time the Lobos have had consecutive Mountain West series victories since the conference went to a three-game series.
The Lobos fell to the Rebels in a close 6-5 loss. UNLV used a walk off home run in the bottom of the seventh to claim the victory. But the Lobos bounced back Saturday to edge the Rebels 6-3 in eight innings and took the series with another tight 2-1 victory.
MISCELLANEOUS STREAKS
Brandi Heimburg is currently on a 14-game hitting streak. Over the weekend, she recorded a hit in the first inning of each game at the leadoff spot which included two singles of the middle and a double to left center.
Gabrielle Stacey is also on a hitting streak. She has had a hit a nine consecutive games. She also has reached base at least once in the last 14 games.
Mariah Rimmer currently has a six-game hitting streak going with the last six games reaching base at least once as well.
FORTNER ADDS TWO MORE
At UNLV, Krissy Fortner was the only pitcher to register a win or a loss in the three games. She came in relief on Friday and suffered the loss but earned the win in relief on Saturday and earned the start and the win on Sunday.
She is currently 6-3 on the season and leads the team with a 2.64 earned run average. In 71.2 innings of work, she has allowed 31 runs of 58 hits while striking out 45 and walking just 25 batters.
Fortner is fifth in the nation with her four saves which is also tied with UNM’s single-season record for saves. The record is also held by Iraina Ogas who earned four saves in 2004. Fortner is also fourth on the all-time list for saves.
TURNING THE DOUBLE PLAY
The Lobos have been more efficient this season on getting their outs on defense and one of the way they have been more efficient is recording the double play. The Lobos are currently 16th in the nation with 0.49 double plays turned per game which also leads the Mountain West. On the season the Lobos have turned a total of 17 doubles plays this season to their opponents 14.
RODRIGUES SAVES AGAIN
At UNLV, Lisa Rodrigues came in to relieve Fortner in Sunday’s game and pitched herself to her second save of the season. She pitched three scoreless innings which included just one hit of the 10 batters she faced.