RIVERSIDE, CALIF. — The University of New Mexico softball team concluded its third tournament of the season with a doubleheader loss at the UCR Classic hosted by UC Riverside in Riverside, Calif. on Sunday. The Lobos fell by a narrow score of 5-2 in game one against George Washington before dropping an 8-1 final to UCR.
Freshman Andrea Howard led the Lobos with three hits on the day including a double and one run. Junior Kasey Halleen drove in a team-best two RBI on the day. Sophomore Jensen Main spent the most time in the circle for UNM, pitching 5.2 innings while posting a team-best two strikeouts.
Game 1 – New Mexico 2, George Washington 5 – Box Score (PDF)
It was Main that started in the circle in game one, ultimately claiming the loss after allowing three runs on five hits while walking five batters in 5.2 innings. She struck out two batters before senior Krissy Fortner entered in relief for the final 1.1. She allowed two runs on two hits, walking one.
George Washington took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when GW’s leadoff batter singled on a bunt to Lobo catcher Sydney Broderick and advanced to second on error. After stealing third, she was driven home on a fielder’s choice with no outs.
GW added another pair of runs in the top of the third when its leadoff batter, Sidney Bloomfield, singled on a bunt to third base, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then stole third. With a runner in scoring position, Marta Fuentes followed with a walk and stole second before Criza Bulanadi reached on a fielder’s choice. The Lobo defense allowed Bulanadi to safely reach first in favor of a double play that sent Bloomfield and Fuentes back to the dugout. Lobos involved in the putouts included Main, Whitley, Broderick and O’Grady.
Bulanadi stole second and scored on a hard single up the middle before GW loaded the bases on two more walks. Main walked one more to score the second run of the inning before she scooped up a grounder and fired it to sophomore Cameryn O’Grady covering second for the third out.
The Lobos held George Washington for three straight innings and got on the board in the bottom of the sixth.
Senior Chelsea Johnson reached base on a fielding error before Howard followed, reaching on a fielder’s choice and advancing to second on another GW error. Johnson advanced to third on the play. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Halleen singled to center field with one out to drive them both home, 3-2 GW.
GW responded by extending its lead to three in the top of the seventh. With two outs GW’s Priscilla Martinez singled to left center field before Rochelle Draper blasted a homerun over the left field fence for a pair of RBI and the 5-2 final.
In the bottom of the seventh, UNM looked for the comeback, leading off with a pair of singles to opposite fields from O’Grady and junior Sydney Townes. With one out, Johnson walked to load the bases, but a pop up and a strikeout ended the inning and the game.
UNM collected six hits compared to seven for GW in the contest, stranding 10 on base to just eight for George Washington. Two of UNM’s hits came from Townes while O’Grady, Howard and Johnson combined for the rest.
Game 2 – New Mexico 1, UC Riverside 8 – Box Score (PDF)
Freshman Alexis Ruel started in the circle for UNM allowing two runs in two innings before redshirt-junior Marissa Bethke completed the final 4.0. Bethke gave up six runs on five hits but Ruel claimed the loss. Both Ruel and Bethke posted a strikeout on the day.
The Lobos jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when, with one out, Townes was hit by a pitch, followed by junior D’Andra DeFlora who walked. A strikeout followed, notching the second out of the inning, before Howard singled to score Townes and advance DeFlora to third. A final strikeout closed the inning, 1-0 Lobos.
UNM held UCR scoreless in the bottom of the first, but in the bottom of the second a leadoff triple ultimately came home on single to right center field, 1-1. The runner was brought home on another single to put UCR on top, 2-1.
UC Riverside added three more in the bottom of the third, one in the bottom of the fourth and two in the bottom of the sixth for the 8-1 final.
Howard posted a double in the top of the fourth but was stranded on the bases and in the top of the seventh, freshman Taylor Jones pinch hit for Halleen with one out and singled to the UCR pitcher, but a strikeout and a foul out ended the game.
Howard led with two hits in the game while Jones and sophomore Lauren Wilmert combined to complete the Lobos’ four total. UC Riverside collected nine hits in the game.
So far on the season, Johnson leads the Lobos with 12 hits including two doubles, a triple, two homers and six RBI.
The Lobos return to action for one more road tournament at the J. McHaney Classic hosted by Texas Tech from Friday, March 2 – Sunday, March 4 before hosting the Lobo Classic from Friday, March 9 – Sunday, March 11. UNM will face St. Mary’s, Sacramento State and Howard in five games in Lubbock, Texas.