BOX SCORE (PDF)
LAS CRUCES, N.M.— Andrea Howard’s three-run home run in the top of the sixth gave The University of New Mexico softball team a 7-6 lead, however, it was not enough in the back-and-forth contest as the Lobos fell to the New Mexico State Aggies 9-8 on Saturday afternoon at the NM State Invitational.
The Lobos seemed to have picked up from where they left off earlier in the day after an 8-0, five-inning victory over Creighton with two early runs against NMSU, but it was the home team who managed to put together runs in the later innings of the game to come away with the win.
UNM ultimately outhit NMSU 10-7 in the game, with both teams leaving five runners on base. Both teams combined to hit six home runs, all occurring in innings five through seven, with NMSU holding a 4-2 advantage.
The top of the order for the Lobos went 8-for-12 at the plate with Howard going 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot with a double and the aforementioned home run for a team-high 3 runs-batted-in, followed by D’Andra DeFlora and Cameryn O’Grady both hitting .750 (3-for-4). Both DeFlora and O’Grady notched a double in the game and O’Grady hit her second home run of the day in the top of the seventh.
Freshman Kennedy Ferguson got the start for the Lobos (2-1) in the circle and pitched four innings, giving up four runs, three hits, and registering three strike outs on 80 pitches, 49 of them strikes.
Howard led off the game with a double on the third pitch of the at-bat and DeFlora doubled to left field on a 3-2 pitch in the next at-bat to drive in Howard for the first run of the game. O’Grady kept it going with a single through the right side that moved DeFlora to third.
The Aggies pulled their starting pitcher, Analise De La Rosa, just four batters in with the Lobos on the corners and no one out. A groundout by Lauren Wilmert advanced O’Grady to second and a Bailey Klitzke sacrifice fly brought in DeFlora from third for an early 2-0 UNM lead.
NMSU got a run back in the bottom half on a sacrifice flyout to Leslie Romero in left before Ferguson closed the inning with a strikeout.
After a scoreless frame from both teams in the second, the Lobos got the run back in the top of the third with the help of DeFlora, O’Grady and Wilmert.
DeFlora started the inning with a single to right field and moved to third on a double by O’Grady. Wilmert flied out to center on the next at bat, in which DeFlora tagged and scored for the 3-1 Lobo advantage.
Ferguson pitched two more scoreless innings in the bottom of the third and fourth, but it was the fifth inning that proved to be troublesome for the right-handed pitcher.
After Ferguson walked an Aggie on a 3-2 count to lead off the inning, Kelsey Horton homered to left field to tie the game at three and NMSU hit a solo shot on the next at-bat to take a 4-3 lead. It was the first time this season that UNM had trailed in a game.
Klitzke, who started the game as the designated player, entered the game in relief and gave up four runs, two of them earned, and three hits in one inning in the circle.
The Aggies would tack on a total of five runs in the bottom of the fifth on four hits to take a 6-3 lead.
However, the Lobos were quick to answer in the top of the sixth. Monica Salas singled to center and Maggie Buckholz drew a four-pitch walk after entering the game as a pinch hitter for Daryn Haslam. With runners on first and second and two outs in the inning, Aleyah Wilbon loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk of her own after entering the game in left field in the bottom of the fifth. A throwing error by the Aggie catcher allowed Salas to score from third and the other baserunners to move up one base.
With a 1-2 count and two outs in the inning, Howard delivered with a three-run home run that put UNM back in front 7-6. The Lobos ultimately tallied four runs on two hits in the inning.
The narrow lead didn’t last long as a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth followed by another home run by Horton allowed the Aggies to regain the advantage at 8-7, which also ended the day for Klitzke in the circle. Klitzke was charged with the loss to move to 1-1 on the year.
Kiana Spencer entered the game and although she recorded the first out of the inning via a groundout to Salas at third, Nikki Butler homered to left center on the next at-bat to extend the deficit to two at 9-7. Spencer struck out the next two batters looking to end the inning.
O’Grady led off the top of the seventh with a solo shot to center that made it 9-8 Aggies, and two batter later, a Klitzke walk put tying run on base for the Lobos. Klitzke advanced to second on a wild pitch, but the Lobos were unable to string together another hit to plate the tying run.
Up next: UNM travels to Tucson, Ariz., for the Hillenbrand Invitational with a single game against Arizona scheduled prior to the start of the five-game tournament on Thursday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. MT.