UNM Game Notes | Live Stats | Live Stream
Thursday: vs. Utah State (6 p.m.)
Friday: vs. Utah State (6 p.m.)
Saturday: vs. Utah State (12 p.m.)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico softball team will open up Mountain West play this weekend, playing host to Utah State Thursday, Friday and Saturday. All games will stream live on the Mountain West Network and live stats are available as well.
PROMOTIONS
FRIDAY: Lobo Pride Friday (All fans wearing red will receive a $3 ticket)
SATURDAY: Easter Egg Hunt: $3 tickets for all fans, an Easter Egg Hunt will take place at the top of the 3rd inning and first 100 kids will receive a free backpack
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
This will be the 38th-40th matchup between the Lobos and the Aggies. The Lobos lead the all-time series 21-16. Last season, the Lobos opened up MW play by claiming the series over Utah State. The Lobos fell in game one 4-0 but came back to win game two 8-7 and game three 12-2.
ABOUT UTAH STATE
The Aggies are off to a 12-11 start to the 2016 season. They have a team batting average of .312 and a team ERA of 4.27. Senior Sarah Chow will be the biggest threat for the Aggies this weekend as she leads the team with a .431 batting average. This season she has recorded 31 hits, 17 runs scored and is 7-for-7 on stolen bases. She also has a .972 fielding percentage.
In the circle, the Aggies have a different leader in the circle. Junior April Brown is leading the squad. She has a 3.20 earned run average and a 5-3 record. In a team-leading 54.2 innings pitched, she has tallied 42 strikeouts and has a opposing batting average of .251.
ABOUT THE LOBOS
The Lobos come into the series with a 15-11 overall record. They are coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Cal State Fullerton Easton Tournament but that record doesn’t show how well they actually did. The Lobos started off the weekend falling in an eight-inning 4-3 heartbreaker to Arkansas. They later fell to No. 4 ranked Alabama 6-2 but returned Saturday to pick up their first win over a ranked team since the 2013 season. They defeated No. 23 ranked Nebraska 6-3. Later Saturday, the Lobos claimed a 10-inning walk-off win over DePaul, 8-6, after Junior Jasmine Casados smashed a three-run bomb to win it. Sunday wasn’t the best day as they fell 2-0 to tourney host Cal State Fullerton.
On the season, the Lobos are hitting .305 as a team with a .390 on-base percentage. Senior Mariah Rimmer leads the way with a .461 batting average. She has recorded 41 hits with 15 extra base hits. She has a slugging percentage of .719 and an on-base percentage of .505.
In the circle, senior Lauren Soles has the best ERA of 3.03. She will most likely see time in the circle this weekend but the Lobos will look to freshman Colette Robert as she has a 7-5 record and a 3.50 ERA. The Lobos will also look to closer Krissy Fortner as she came in to earn her fourth save over the weekend against No. 23 Nebraska, breaking the UNM all-time career record for saves with her ninth career.
LOBO SOFTBALL NOTES
WALK-OFF FASHION
The Lobos put together their first walk-off win of the season on Saturday as Jasmine Casados belted out a three-run home run to claim a 8-6 win over DePaul in 10 innings. Casados had one heck of a weekend, going 10-for-6 at the plate with eight RBIs off four doubles and a home run. She finished the weekend with a 1.063 slugging percentagen and a team-best .684 on-base percentage.
RIMMER’S CONSISTENCY
Senior Mariah Rimmer is making the most of her senior season. She has been the most consistent on the team. Last weekend, she went 10-for-17 with two doubles, a triple and three runs scored to go along with two RBIs. She finished with a .824 slugging percentage and a .632 on-base percentage. This season, she is leading the squad with a .461 batting average. She has pounded out 41 hits including 16 extra-base hits. She owns .719 slugging percentage and a.505 on-base percentage.
FORTNER BREAKS UNM’s CAREER SAVE RECORD
As a freshman last season, Krissy Fortner broke the UNM single-season save record with five. This season, she has broke the UNM all-time career-save record after record her fourth save of the season and ninth career save against No. 23 Nebraska. She came in in the seventh. Nebraska ended up threatening with bases loaded but Fortner got out of the jam to get the save. Fortner’s four saves is tied for first in the nation with nine other player’s across the country.
RODRIGUES GETS FIRST WIN OF SEASON
WIth Fortner’s save against No. 23 Nebraska on Saturday, senior Lisa Rodrigues was able to claim her first win of the season in the circle. Rodrigues came into the game to relieve starter Tess McPherson in the third. She allowed one run off three hits while striking out one and walking four.