LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The Lobos’ pitchers contained the Aggies’ bats for virtually the entire game.
It was the one inning when they didn’t that made the difference.
The University of New Mexico softball team received a strong pitching performance Tuesday night, but gave up four runs in one inning en route to dropping a 4-2 decision to in-state rival New Mexico State at NMSU Softball Complex.
Despite holding a potent New Mexico State offense to four total hits, New Mexico (24-21) surrendered a decisive three-run home run in the third frame to give the Aggies (35-12) a sweep of the annual Rio Grande Rivalry.
New Mexico State won the first of two games between the rivals three weeks ago in Albuquerque and has swept the season series against Lobos for the first time since 2012.
Through the first couple of innings, this game appeared to be the opposite of the first game between the teams, which ended 12-6 in favor of the Aggies.
New Mexico State, which came into the game ranked seventh in the nation in batting average at .355, and New Mexico couldn’t get their offenses started early on. Both teams had only one combined hit through the first two and a half innings.
But Lobo starter Carrie Sheehan, after opening the game with a spotless ledger, unravelled in the third inning.
After issuing a walk and two passed balls, Sheehan gave up a double down the right field line to New Mexico State’s Brennalyn Nakamura, which scored the Aggies’ first run.
Sheehan then hit New Mexico State’s Emma Adams with a pitch, and, a batter later, served up a two-out, three-run home run to the Aggies’ Fiana Finau.
Lauren Soles came on in relief and recorded the final out of the inning, but New Mexico State had scored all the runs it would need.
Although Soles and Tess McPherson combined for 3.1 innings of scoreless relief against the Aggies prolific offense — including a stretch of six outs by McPherson — New Mexico couldn’t answer New Mexico State’s production at the plate.
The Lobos managed only two hits through the first five innings, as New Mexico State’s Dallas McBride kept UNM in check.
However, New Mexico was able to get two runs back from McBride in the sixth, as Mariah Rimmer followed a Jasmine Casados walk with a two-run homer.
The Lobos, however, couldn’t close the gap. Karissa Haleman hit a single right after Rimmer’s home run, but New Mexico State relief pitcher Karysta Donisthorpe recorded six straight outs to secure the game.
Sheehan (7-5) picked up the loss after giving up the four earned runs on four hits in 2.2 innings.
New Mexico gets a weekend off and will return to action April 24 when it opens a three-game series with San Diego State in San Diego.