Box Score | 2018 Season Statistics
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In a game that was a pretty as the weather, The New Mexico Lobos lost the final game of the Lobo Classic 15-12 in five innings to Sacramento State. The game was called after five innings due to a steady rain and brutal cold that was making it hard for all the pitchers.
With a temperature of 42 but a wind chill at time dipping into the high 20s, the last thing anyone needed was rain, but a steady mixture of rain and random snowflakes fell from the third inning on. Even without the weather, the offenses were having a go at it.
Sacramento State fired off an opening blitz of seven runs in the first. The game got off to an auspicious start when Aleyah Wilbon dropped a fly ball for a three-base error. That seemed to open the flood gates. Zamari Hinton singled her home and she went to third on a double by Suzy Brookshire. Mo Spieth followed with a long three-run home run just inside the foul pole, making it 4-0.
That was all for starter Jensen Main, who had been marvelous over the first two days of the tournament. Krissy Fortner entered but allowed back-to-back singles before a walk loaded the bases. Jessica Scott doubled in two runs to make it 6-0 and then, in keeping with the odd nature of the game, Sacramento State made it 7-0 on a sacrifice fly to short. Marissa Maligad hit a pop up with the shortstop Cameryn O’Grady cheating in. O’Grady went on a dead sprint into no-man’s land and made a diving, sprawling over-the-shoulder catch for the first out of the inning, but Sydnee Strong tagged and scored.
Down 7-0, UNM actually took the lead in the bottom of the second, scoring eight in the frame. Monica Salad got UNM back in it with an absolute bomb to left for a three-run home run which came after an error, cutting the lead to 7-3. After a strikeout, a double by Sydney Townes and an O’Grady strikeout should have ended the inning, but UNM made Sacramento State pay for the error.
Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and then D’Andra DeFlora singled to short to make it 7-4. That brought up Lauren Wilmert, and she unleashed a laser beam to center that cleared the fence for a grand slam and am 8-7 lead, ending Sydney Corr’s day in the circle.
Alexiss Diaz homered to tie it in the third, and in the fourth, Sacramento State tacked on two runs in the fourth. With runners on first and second, Kasey Halleen couldn’t handle a throw on a sacrifice bunt, allowing a run to score, and a second came in on a sacrifice fly. During the fourth the rain started to come down harder with intermittent snowflakes and it became incredibly hard for the pitchers. In the bottom half UNM loaded the bases without a hit. A walk, two hit batters and two wild pitches (two of seven in the game), but with a chance to tie it, Salas struck out.
Sacramento State then scored five more to make it 15-8. A double, a single, a throwing error and two walks led to a run making it 11-8, and Marissa Bethke replaced Fortner. Another walk made it 12-8, a two-run single made it 14-8, and an RBI ground out made it 15-8.
UNM then nearly tied it in the bottom of the fifth. Sydney Broderick walked as pitcher Danielle Sperry couldn’t get a good grip on the ball. UNM then got back-to-back singles to make it 15-9. Wilbon walked to load the bases, and Celina Matthias came on in relief. She allowed a run-scoring single by Chelsea Johnson to center to make it 15-10, and then back-to-back bases loaded walks made it 15-12, the second of which came after a pop up was dropped in foul ground. With still with no one out the go-ahead run came to the plate, but bad luck struck. Kasey Halleen worked the count full and then got a pitch to hit and laced a liner that first baseman Mo Spieth snagged for one out, and then she stepped on the bag for a double play. Salas then struck out for the third out.
UNM came out for the sixth, but the umpires got both coaches together. After talking, both coaches shook hands and the game was called.
UNM lashed out nine hits but committed four errors and UNM’s three pitchers walked six. Sacramento State had 14 hits and committed two errors. Sacramento State also used three pitchers, and they walked nine, hit two others and threw seven wild pitches.
The Lobos now open conference play next weekend, hosting UNLV on Friday at 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at noon.