ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sophomore Jensen Main registered a career-high six strikeouts on Saturday afternoon in the series finale against Fresno State, but it wasn’t enough as The University of New Mexico softball team fell 10-0 in five innings at Lobo Softball field.
The Lobos fall to 9-26, 3-6 Mountain West, while Fresno State improves to 19-15, 4-2 in conference play.
Main pitched all five innings, posting her ninth complete game of her career. She allowed 11 hits but showed determination in the circle. Fresno State loaded the bases in the third and fourth innings, but Main worked out of the jams, allowing just one run and stranding all six of those runners on base.
“It was a close game (in the fourth), 4-0, and Jensen barred down and did what she needed to do, and the defense was good behind her,” head coach Paula Congleton said. “I’m really proud of her for that because she could have fallen apart and let the game slide out of control then, but she didn’t. That’s definitely something she should take with her on to the next games.”
UMM trailed by just four after four innings before Fresno State rallied for six runs in the top of the sixth for the win.
Bulldog pitcher Danielle East struck out 15 batters on her way to a no-hitter.
The Bulldogs got on the board early, posting four singles in the top of the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.
The squad threatened again in the top of the third after a pair of batters were hit by a pitch and another was walked, loading the bases. Despite the jam, Main got to work and struck out the final two batters of the inning for her fourth and fifth of the game. All three outs in the frame were strikeouts.
TOP 3 | Main ties her career record for most strikeouts in a game with her fifth for today! She works out of the jam and sends UNM back to the plate. Wilmert, Wilbon and O’Grady due to bat. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/piRB7HjQ1X
— UNM Softball (@UNMLoboSB) March 31, 2018
When the Bulldogs loaded the bases again in the top of the fourth, Main and the Lobo defense allowed just one run to cross the plate on a walk and a pair of stolen bases, 4-0 Fresno State.
In the top of the fifth, however, Fresno State broke the game open, piling on six runs on five hits, including three singles, a double and a three-run homer to make it 10-0. Main ended the inning on her sixth strikeout of the day to break her previous career-best five in a game.
Just one Lobo reached base on the day, junior D’Andra DeFlora, who walked in her first trip to the plate and was hit in her second.
The Lobos are set to return to action on Tuesday, April 3, when they travel to New Mexico State in Las Cruces for a single game to finish out the home-and-home series against the Aggies.