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Game Two Slips Away From Lobos

Chelsea JohnsonChelsea Johnson

BOX SCORE (PDF)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — After jumping out to an early 4-0 lead, The University of New Mexico softball team let the early lead slip away as the Fresno State Bulldogs battled back to take the game two 14-4 in five innings. The loss knots up the series at 1-1 and the squads will face off in game three on Saturday at noon at Lobo Softball Field.

With the loss, the Lobos fall to 9-25, 3-5 in the Mountain West, while Fresno State improves to 18-15 on the season, 3-2 in conference play.

After earning the win in game one of the series on Thursday, senior Krissy Fortner takes the loss after allowing Fresno State’s game-winning run in the top of the third. She replaced starter Alexis Ruel in the third and falls to 2-6 on the season.

The Lobos started out hot, putting up four runs over the first two innings, but went cold after the Bulldogs registered a seven-run top of the third inning. From that point, it was Fresno State that continued to cross the plate en route to the win.

“Fresno State is a good team and we knew today would be a tough game,” head coach Paula Congleton said. “Even up into that third inning, after they scored the seven runs, it was still a close game (7-4) and the energy shifted on us … we just allowed them to keep that momentum.”

UNM got on the board early in the bottom of the first when senior Chelsea Johnson drove in sophomore Cameryn O’Grady, who walked, on a one-out RBI single up the middle, 1-0 Lobos.
 

UNM followed it up strong in the bottom of the second, loading the bases after junior Kasey Halleen led off with a single to shortstop. She was followed by freshman Sydney Broderick, who singled to the pitcher, and junior Aleyah Wilbon, who reached on a walk.

Fresno State pulled starting pitcher Savannah McHellon with no outs and substituted Samantha Mejia. Mejia walked O’Grady to plate Halleen and make it 2-0 Lobos. With one out, Johnson stepped back to the plate and drilled another single up the middle in the exact same spot as her first, just between the shortstop and second base. She scored Broderick and Wilbon to put the Lobos up 4-0 and register her team-best three RBI.
 

The Bulldogs responded in the top of the third, rallying for seven runs to take a 7-4 lead. UNM substituted pitchers twice in the inning as Fortner and redshirt-junior Marissa Bethke both made appearances. The seven runs came on five hits, including a pair of homers.

In the top of the fourth, Bethke retired the first two batters before allowing five more runs on four hits, including another homerun and a triple that junior D’Andra DeFlora robbed from the center-field fence. Bethke was replaced by starting pitcher Ruel who registered the final out of the frame and sent UNM back to the plate trailing 12-4.
 

The Lobos failed to score in the final three innings and Fresno State racked up two more in the top of the fifth. With two outs, shortstop Katie Castellon doubled down the left line to score a walked runner for the 14-4 final.

Fresno State outhit UNM 11-5, leaving just two runners on base compared to eight for the Lobos. 

Ruel started the contest in the circle, retiring the first six batters before a troublesome third. She allowed three runs in the third before she was replaced and allowed seven more when she returned for the fourth and fifth innings. She completed the game with 4.0 innings while Fortner and Bethke each allowed two runs on two hits in 0.0 and 1.0 innings, respectively.

Leading the Lobo offense was Johnson and Halleen who each registered a pair of hits. The fifth hit came from Broderick.

O’Grady and freshman Andrea Howard each earned walks in all three of their at bats on the evening for a 1.000 on-base percentage.

The Lobos and the Bulldogs will play game three of the series on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Lobo Softball Field.