Loading

Softball Splits Doubleheader at Nevada

Andrea HowardAndrea Howard

RENO, NEV. — Led by five hits including a double and a homerun from freshman Andrea Howard, The University of New Mexico softball team earned a split on a snowy Saturday in Reno against Mountain West foe Nevada. The Lobos and the Wolf Pack were tied 8-8 in the sixth inning of game one before Nevada ran away and UNM piled on a 6-0 lead en route to a victory in game two. 

With the split, the Lobos improve to 2-3 in the Mountain West, 8-23 overall, while Nevada is also 2-3 in the league, 13-15 on the season.

As a team, the Lobos hit .339 on the day including 20 hits while scoring 15 runs and driving in 13 RBI. Defensively, UNM turned three double plays on the day.

Game 1 – New Mexico 8, Nevada 16 – 6 Innings | BOX SCORE (PDF)
The Lobos and the Wolf Pack were tied 8-8 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning before Nevada tallied eight runs in the frame to run away with the game.
 

Sophomore Jensen Main was the pitcher of record when Nevada pulled away and takes the loss. She pitched 2.1 innings and allowed eight runs on 10 hits while striking out two. Freshman Alexis Ruel started in the circle for the Lobos and was UNM’s most effective pitcher on the day. She logged 3.0 innings and allowed five runs on five hits while striking out one. 

Nevada got on the board first with a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to get the Wolf Pack out to a 3-0 lead but the Lobos responded in the top of the second with a leadoff homer Howard. The homerun, her fifth of the season, reduced the deficit to two, 3-1.

The Lobos rallied in the top of the third. Junior Kasey Halleen led off with a walk followed by sophomore Cameryn O’Grady who reached base on error. O’Grady stole second and junior Sydney Townes walked to load the bases with no outs. After two straight strikeouts, Howard sent a double to center field to drive in the three runs, putting the Lobos ahead 4-3.

Junior Monica Salas followed immediately with another double, her second of the season, to score Howard from second and increase the Lobo lead to two, 5-3.

Nevada responded in the bottom of the frame with a two-run homer over center field to knot the score 5-5.

At the start of the bottom of the fourth, redshirt-junior Marissa Bethke entered in the circle, but loaded the bases and tallied one out before Main entered the game. With the bases loaded, Nevada hit an infield single that allowed a runner to advance home, 6-5 Wolf Pack.

The single was followed immediately by a two-run double to make it 8-5 before Main delivered a pair of groundouts to send the Lobos back to the plate.

UNM struck again and tied it up in the bottom of the fifth. Junior D’Andra DeFlora led off with a single to center and advanced to second on an illegal pitch before Howard singled to center field to score DeFlora and make it 8-6 Nevada. With two outs, freshman Sydney Broderick belted a sacrifice fly to center to score Howard from third, followed by a Halleen single to right that scored Salas, who had singled, 8-8.
 

Nevada piled on eight runs in the bottom of the sixth on seven hits and no errors to run away with the game. The onslaught of runs made the score 16-8 and the Wolf Pack closed the game on the eight-run rule.

Offensively, the Lobos were led by Howard who went 3-for-4 in game one including the homer and double for four RBI. She also crossed the plate three times. Salas registered a pair of hits while DeFlora, Halleen and senior Chelsea Johnson each added one. 

The Lobos were outhit 15-8 but finished game one errorless in the field compared to Nevada’s two errors.

Game 2 – New Mexico 7, Nevada 6 | BOX SCORE (PDF)
The Lobos scored in five straight innings in game six while holding Nevada scoreless through three. UNM got out to as much as a 6-0 lead before Nevada started scoring in the fourth and nearly executed a late comeback in the seventh as the Lobo defense struggled to deal with adverse weather conditions. 

Ruel registered her fourth complete game of the season in the victory. She pitched 7.0 innings and allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits. 

The Lobos kicked off game two with a run in the top of the opening frame. O’Grady led off with a single to left center and scored on a two-out single through the right side by DeFlora, 1-0 Lobos.

UNM added a run to its lead in the top of the second when Halleen flied out to left with just one out, scoring sophomore Lauren Wilmert, who led off wth a walk, 2-0 Lobos.

In the top of the third, the Lobos tacked on two more to make it 4-0 UNM. After a leadoff strikeout, senior Chelsea Johnson and DeFlora strung together a pair of singles to reach base. Both runners advanced to scoring position after DeFlora stole second and Howard followed with a walk to load the bases. Wilmert fouled out to left field but scored Johnson before junior Kristen Whitley singled to left field to score DeFlora.
 

O’Grady hit her second homerun of the season with no outs in the top of the fourth, driving in Halleen, who reached base on error, to put UNM up 6-0. Following the homer, Nevada made a pitcher change and Johnson singled and advanced to third on another hit from Howard, a single to second. The pair were stranded however and the Wolf Pack responded by tallying their first run of the game in the bottom of the frame.

Nevada loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth with two outs before Ruel hit a batter, walking in a run to make it 6-1. Ruel delivered a groundout on the following play however, to send the Lobos back to the plate.

UNM scored again in the top of the fifth when, with two outs, O’Grady singled to score Jones, who had reached on a Wolf Pack error, 7-1.

Nevada added another run in the bottom of the fifth and again in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-3 Lobos and after UNM failed to add onto the lead in the top of the seventh, a snow storm began to take over the field.
 

The Lobos registered the first out on the leadoff batter before the umpires met to consult regarding a possible delay. The snow began to get thicker and the wind was significant, but with just two outs left to play, they decided to continue the game.

The second batter of the inning reached base after O’Grady lost a grounder in the snow and wind before another singled through the left side. A two-run triple down the right field line followed to make it 7-5 Lobos. Another RBI single with just one out reduced the deficit to just one, 7-6, before the Lobos retired the final two batters back-to-back on a pop up to O’Grady and a ground out to Ruel for the final score.

The Lobos outhit the Wolf Pack 12-9 in game two while stranding 11 runners on base compared to 12 for Nevada. 

The Lobos and the Wolf Pack are scheduled to complete their three-game series on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT (1 p.m. MT) in Reno pending weather and field conditions. For the latest updates, stay tuned to GoLobos.com or follow @UNMLoboSB on Twitter.