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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico softball team won it’s first fall matchup in an exhibition game against New Mexico Highlands on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Lobo Softball Field. The game was a strong start for the Lobos under first-year head coach Paula Congleton with a final score of 12-0.
In the 12-inning matchup, the first six innings were played like a normal game with regulation substitutions. During the seventh through twelfth innings, the Lobos took the opportunity to mix up some positions and the batting order to examine the team depth.
The Lobos were led by freshman Taylor Jones at the plate who went 3-for-4 on the day with a trio of singles. The Lobos combined for 18 hits over 12 innings including five in the first six innings and 13 over the second six. The Lobos registered five extra-base hits, all doubles, off the bats of junior Aleyah Wilbon, redshirt-junior Jade Gray, senior Chelsea Johnson and sophomore Angelica Lujan who blasted two.
Defensively, four pitchers made an appearance, pitching three innings apiece. Freshman Alexis Ruel started, struck out three batters and allowed five hits, followed by redshirt-junior Marissa Bethke who allowed two hits and struck out one in three innings. In the second six, sophomore Jensen Main struck out two while allowing just four hits and senior Krissy Fortner struck out three while allowing just one hit.
The Lobos spread their scoring in the first six over three innings, notching the first run of the game in the bottom of the third.
The Lobos extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning when second-baseman Monica Salas and Lujan scored a pair of runs. A Lujan double drove in Salas, who reached on error, followed by a Wilbon single to send Lujan across the plate from third. Wilbon scored again in the sixth to puy UNM up 4-0, doubling to reach base and scoring on a throwing error by New Mexico Highlands.
After a brief intermission, the Lobos doubled their four-point lead in the seventh inning and tripled it in the 12th. Johnson doubled to left center in the bottom of the seventh to drive in two RBI, scoring Oliver and Gray. A Salas single also brought in a pair of runs, scoring Johnson and O’Grady to extend the Lobo lead to 8-0.
In the final inning, the Lobos laid on four more runs. Center-fielder D’Andra DeFlora tallied an RBI groundout to score Wilbon, who had reached on a single. O’Grady also singled to bring in junior Sydney Townes, who had walked, and the Lobos completed the game on a second Lujan double to score Howard, who singled, and O’Grady.
The Lobos are set to open the regular season on February 9 against Utah. More schedule information will be made public as it becomes available.