UNM/Howard Box Score | UNM/St. Mary’s Box Score | 2018 Statistics
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — One was a blowout. One was as tense as tense could be. Either way, the Lobos were victorious in both, laying the hammer to Howard 17-1 in five innings before edging St. Mary’s 3-2 in the final day of the day as UNM improved to 3-1 at the Lobo Classic.
The tournament ends Sunday with Howard and St. Mary’s playing at 10:30 before UNM hosts Sacramento State in the final game at 1 p.m. Both UNM and Sacramento State are 3-1 in the Classic, making the game a de facto championship game.
In the opening game of the day, UNM lashed out 23 hits and scored 17 runs, including 10 in the second inning.
The Lobos innocently enough got a run in the first on a single, a sacrifice bunt, and productive ground out and then a single by D’Andra DeFlora. In the second however, it was a veritable marry-go-round, with 14 players batting and UNM scoring 10 runs in the inning, with eight of those earned.
Monica Salas, who entered the day mired in a 1-for-29 skid to open the season, certain broke out of that slump. She singled twice in the inning, the first time up the middle before stealing second. Sydney Broderick singled her home, and she eventually advanced to third on an error that allowed Sam Oliver to reach. Oliver, after stealing second, came around along with Broderick with Taylor Jones hit a one-out single.
The merry-go-round continues with singles by Chelsea Johnson, DeFlora and Andrea Howard made it 7-0. Kasey Halleen doubled and after a pitching change, Salas came up for the second time in the inning and singled again, this time driving in a run.
That brought Broderick up again, and she also singled for the second time in the inning, driving in Salas and making it 10-0. Cameryn O’Grady closed out the scoring in the inning with a double down the line.
Marisa Bethke was the lucky recipient of the offensive explosion. Bethke threw a complete game, allowing three hits and just one. She also struck out six, including the first three of the game. The only blemish was a home run allowed in the third to Brooklyn Emery.
The Lobos tacked on six more runs in the fourth, all unearned as UNM sent 10 to the plate. UNM got three doubles in the inning, one each from Aleyah Wilbon, DeFlora and Kristyn Whitley. Salas also picked up her third hit of the game in the inning as well, driving in the final run.
The game ended in odd fashion as Howard had to forfeit with two outs in the fifth when Niaja Nolan singled and ran to second on an error. In running to second she hit the base awkwardly as went down. Due to other changed made during the game, Howard were out of players, ending the game.
UNM’s other game wasn’t nearly that simple as UNM got a run in the bottom of the sixth to make a winner of Jensen Main in relief as UNM beat St. Mary’s 3-2.
The Gaels scored twice in the third. After a triple and a single, St. Mary’s ran a successful “Curly Shuffle”, where the runner from first steals second and on the throw the runner at third comes home. On the throw home to try to catch Dylan Linton, the ball got away from catcher Sydney Broderick for error, allowing Kimiko Zapanta to reach third. She eventually scored on another error, making it 2-0.
In the bottom half, UNM got both runs back. Sydney Townes singled and stole second. O’Grady singled as well, and Townes rounded third and was thrown out, but declared safe due to obstruction. After a walk, Chelsea Johnson laced a two-run single to make it 2-2, but UNM couldn’t cash in any more.
In the fifth, starter Krissy Fortner allowed a double and a single with one out, and at that point head coach Paula Congleton put Jensen Main in for Fortner. Main coaxed a pop-up and a fly out to left to end the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth, back-to-back doubles by Broderick and Salas (as a pinch hitter) gave UNM a lead, and then UNM had to survive a harrowing seventh. After getting a ground out to start the inning, Linton singled to second. Zapanta came up and singled on a bunt attempt to put runners on first and second. Main got another groundout, moving the runners up, and a walk loaded the bases with two outs.
Main then threw a ball to Julia McCormack before dropped two change ups in for strikes. Ahead in the count, Main pumped a rise ball that McCormack could only pop up to second to end the game.
NOTES: Salas went 4-for-5 on the day … UNM had 15 players register an at bat in the game, and all 15 of those players scored … UNM had just 10 assists in the two games … Bethke twice struck out three straight batters in the game despite entering the game with two strikeouts all season.