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SAN JOSE, Calif. — The University of New Mexico softball team fell by a narrow score of 3-1 for the second time this week on Friday, this time against Mountain West member San José State. The contest marked the first of a three-game series set to resume Saturday and Sunday on SJSU’s brand new softball field.
The Lobos were outhit 9-4 stranding nine runners on base compared to seven for SJSU. SJSU is now 28-15, 12-6 MW, on the season while the Lobos slip to 12-33, 5-11 MW.
UNM was led by four different hitters including junior Aleyah Wilbon, senior Chelsea Johnson, and freshman Sydney Broderick. Freshman Andrea Howard was the only Lobo to register a hit and also score as she crossed the plate on Broderick’s RBI single.
After UNM stranded leadoff hitter Cameryn O’Grady on third in the top of the first, San José State registered an early run in the bottom of the frame. The Spartans posted back-to-back singles to kick off the inning. Their leadoff batter stole second and scored on the next at bat.
Sophomore pitcher Jensen Main loaded the bases but she and the UNM defense worked out of the inning with a tag out at home, a looking strikeout and a force out at third.
The Lobos held SJSU for the next two innings but the Spartans increased their lead to three in the bottom of the fourth.
Main struck out the first batter of the inning before allowing back-to-back singles and a walk. SJSU’S Cassidy Clark singled through the left side to score a pair of runs, but the runner from first was picked off in an elaborate and well-executed pickle.
Junior D’Andra DeFlora fired the single to third-baseman Monica Salas for the cutoff when Salas checked the runner mid-route to third. Salas threw to second-baseman Kasey Halleen at second, who threw to shortstop O’Grady at third, who threw back to Halleen at second. Halleen waited for the runner to near third and then fired to first-baseman Andrea Howard, who was covering third, for the tag and the second out of the inning.
A groundout to O’Grady ended the inning, 3-0 Spartans, and neither team scored again until the seventh.
Howard led off the top of the seventh with a double to right center field and was followed by two straight outs. Broderick followed with a two-out single up the middle to score Howard and reduce the deficit to two, 3-1. With the Lobos on the hunt for the rally, freshman Sam Oliver pinch ran for Broderick and advanced to second on a wild pitch. One last groundout, however, clinched the game for the Spartans.
Main takes the loss for the Lobos and is 6-17 on the season. She allowed nine hits and three runs striking out two and walking two more. In 99 pitches, she threw 58 strikes.
SJSU’s Madison Aurin also struck out and walked two while allowing four hits and one run. Of her 103 pitches, 56 were strikes.
UNM returns to action Saturday at 1 p.m. MT, 12 p.m. PT, for game two against the Spartans.