LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The University of New Mexico softball team opened up Mountain West action with a 3-2 victory over UNLV on Friday evening at Eller Media Softball Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. The Lobos are now 15-11 on the season and 1-0 in MW play.
“The girls finally came up with clutch hits,” said head coach Erica Beach. “Tess (McPherson) battle for us the entire game and I’m very proud of our team as a whole.”
It was a tight game through six innings, but the Lobos broke open the seventh with three runs off three clutch hits, which was all they needed to claim the win over the Rebels.
Shelbie Franc led off the seventh by reaching on an error by UNLV’s first baseman. D’Andra DeFlora followed by getting hit with a pitch. With one out, Michala Erickson doubled to score both Franc and DeFlora to take a 2-0 lead.
But the rally continued, as Jade Gray followed with a single to right field, advancing Erickson to third. Erickson then scored on Callie McGarrigle’s single to left field.
The Lobos needed just three outs to claim the victory in the bottom of the seventh and that wasn’t easy as UNLV put two runs together off Lobo starter Tess McPherson. But McPherson battled and ended the game by making UNLV strike out looking.
For the game, the Lobos left 11 runners on base as both teams were scoreless through six innings. The Lobos left two runners on in five of the seven innings. The squad did pound out 10 hits with two or more hits coming in four of the seven innings.
McPherson went the distance for the Lobos in the circle, claiming her seventh win on the season. She now owns a 7-5 record. She allowed two runs, one earned, off seven hits, while striking out three and walking one. UNLV’s Morgan Ettinger took the loss, falling to 12-7 on the year.
At the plate, Erickson finished 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while McGarrigle went 4-for-4 with an RBI.
The two teams will battle it out again tomorrow. First pitch will be at 5 p.m. MT and will air on the Mountain West Network here. Live stats are also available here.