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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico softball team fell in a 5-1 final to the visiting Utah State Aggies on Sunday afternoon at Lobo Softball Field, dropping the series 1-2. Four different Lobos tallied hits on the day while sophomore Jensen Main made her third appearance in the pitcher’s circle on the weekend.
UNM is now 5-10 in Mountain West play, 12-31 overall, while the Aggies improve to 6-12 in league competition and 16-27 on the season.
Redshirt-junior Marissa Bethke started in the circle for the Lobos in just her fourth start of the season. She allowed five hits and all five runs over the first 3.1 innings including a pair of homeruns. She was relieved by Main in the top of the fourth who allowed just one hit over the remaining 3.2 innings.
The four Lobo hits came off the bats of juniors D’Andra DeFlora, Kasey Halleen and Kristyn Whitley, as well as sophomore Cameryn O’Grady. UNM was outhit just 6-4 on the day leaving nine runners on base compared to five for the Aggies.
The Aggies got out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning as Utah State led off with a single to right field followed by a two-run homer off the bat of first baseman Bailey Lewis. A double and a single brought in the final run of the frame.
UNM responded in the bottom of the second as freshman Andrea Howard led off with a walk. With two outs, Whitley hit a hard single up the middle to score Howard and reduce the deficit to two, 3-1.
BOT 2 | Whitley scores Howard from second on a single rip up the middle! It’s 3-1 Aggies, 2 outs. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/crrG7KRQ0m
— UNM Softball (@UNMLoboSB) April 22, 2018
The Lobos held the Aggies in the third but Utah State blasted another two-run bomb in the top of the fourth with just one out to jump ahead by four, 5-1.
Once Main came in to pitch in the fourth, the Lobo defense retired two straight in the fourth and three straight in the fifth, including a double play when O’Grady scooped up a grounder and fired to first.
Offensively the Lobos left at least one runner on base over the last four straight innings, including two runners in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
Utah State pitcher Kellie White, who earned the 1-0 victory over the Lobos in game one with 12 strikeouts, posted 10 strikeouts on the day while walking six and allowing four hits in 7.0 innings.
The Lobos are set to return to action on Wednesday, April 25 at Arizona and will remain on the road for a three-game series at San José State April 27-29. UNM will return home for its final home series on May 4 against San Diego State.