NM-UH BOX SCORE | NM-DPU BOX SCORE
HONOLULU, Hawai’i— In a role reversal of Friday night’s game in which The University of New Mexico softball team lost to Hawai’i 3-2, it was UNM who emerged on the winning end of a 3-2 result on Saturday morning at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
It was the first time this season that UNM has won a one-run game, with two previous games against UH ending in one-run defeats.
Lauren Wilmert, Bailey Klitzke and Maggie Buckholz recorded the only hits of the game for UNM, with Wilmert and Klitzke’s hit going for doubles, however, it was Buckholz’s hit that proved to be the difference in the game.
Starting pitcher Kiana Spencer did allow four hits and four walks, but did strikeout a season-high six of the 29 batters she faced. The junior pitched her fifth complete game of the season with 7.0 inning pitched on Saturday, throwing 64 strikes on 107 total pitches to earn her third win of the season. Of the four hits allowed, only one went for extra bases.
While Hawai’i (10-4) outhit UNM (5-8) by a slim 4-3 margin, as well as had a 4-3 advantage in reaching base on walks, the Lobo defense found ways to limit the Rainbow Wahine opportunities as Hawai’i left six runners on base compared to two for UNM. The Lobos did fare better in the leadoff position, having three leadoff hitters reach base compared to two for Hawai’i.
As was the case with both previous meetings between the two teams, Saturday’s game was a defensive dual with each team only able to plate runs in one inning.
UNM was the first to put runs on the scoreboard with three runs on two hits in the top of the second. Wilmert led off the inning with a double to left field and moved to third on a groundout by Monica Salas. Klitzke earned her way on base on a five-pitch base on balls, putting runners on the corners with just one out. Buckholz delivered with a three-run home run to center that brought in Klitzke and Wilmert to give the Lobos an early 3-0 lead.
Spencer struck out two in the bottom half of the inning to keep UNM in control and didn’t allow a hit in the first two innings of play. Three of the junior’s strikeouts in the game came in the first two innings.
The Rainbow Wahine’s answer came in the bottom of the third, finally getting to Spencer and registering their first hit of the game after 2.1 innings on a single to left field. With two outs in the inning, N Lopez made it a one-run game with a two-run home run to left center.
Hawai’i had a runner reach second in the bottom of the fourth but a fly out to Howard in right and a foul out to Salas at third ended the inning with the tying run left on base.
Spencer struck out two in the bottom of the fifth after UNM went down in order in the top of the inning, and retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth to maintain the one-run advantage for the Lobos.
The Lobos found themselves in a bit of a bind in the bottom of the seventh as Hawai’i tried to push across the tying run, but the Lobos bent but didn’t break defensively.
Hawai’i put its first two hitters on base on a leadoff walk and a single to right center. Spencer recorded the first out of the inning on a swinging strikeout, but walked the next hitter on four pitches to load the bases with one out. Holding onto a one-run lead and the tying runner on third, Spencer and the defense held on with a pop up to O’Grady at shortstop and a fly out to Howard in right field to end the game and give UNM the one-run win.
With the win, the Lobos advanced to the championship game, where they would face DePaul.
GAME TWO:
Unlike the Lobos first game in which the runs were hard to come by, it seemed as if the championship game against DePaul would be a run-fest after both teams got on the board in the first inning.
Both pitchers would settle in to the game and produce scoreless innings throughout several of the next six innings and unfortunately for the Lobos, the runs given up in the first would prove to be too much as they fell 4-2 to the Blue Demons.
Getting the ball in the circle was freshman Kennedy Ferguson who recorded 104 total pitches, 64 of which went for strikes, in the complete game effort. She gave up eight hits, four runs (all earned), walked three and struck out three on 27 batters faced. Unfortunately, of the eight hits, four of them went for extra bases.
While DePaul (13-1) had the advantage in hits (8-4), the Lobos reached via walks more often than the Blue Demons (5-3), but in the same token UNM left more runners on base (8-5).
Shortstop Cameryn O’Grady led the Lobos at the plate with two hits on three at-bats, with a single and a double and an RBI, while also registering a walk.
As the visiting team, O’Grady led off the game with a single to left to get the offense started. D’Andra DeFlora hit a one-out double on the first pitch of the at-bat to move O’Grady to third. However, a fielding error by the center fielder allowed O’Grady to score the first run of the game and DeFlora to move up to third. The Lobos were unable to capitalize on the early momentum as DeFlora was stranded on third following a pop up and a line out. It was the 10th time this season the UNM has scored first in a game.
DePaul was quick to answer, getting a leadoff single and a walk to provide an early opportunity to match the Lobos’ opening run in the bottom of the first. Jessica Cothern made contact on a 1-1 pitch and put the Blue Demons in front on a three-run home run down the left field line, all without an out being recorded in the inning. It was the second home run that Cothern had hit against UNM in the tournament for a total of five RBI. DePaul would score three runs on three hits in the inning for a 3-1 lead after one.
The Lobos tried to cut into the deficit in the top of the second, getting a leadoff single from Klitzke and a Buckholz walk. With one out in the inning, MacKenzie Peterson grounded out to third but was able to advance the runners to second and third. O’Grady loaded the bases with a walk, but the Lobos would be stranded after a strikeout by Andrea Howard.
Defense helped UNM stay within reach in the bottom of the second as a leadoff double was negated with a double play by Daryn Haslam, who caught a pop up at second and threw it to O’Grady to get the out.
UNM was able to put a dent into the deficit in the top of the fourth with a two-out rally. After Peterson walked after battling back from a 1-2 count, O’Grady doubled to right center to score Peterson to make it a one-run game. O’Grady would end up being left on second after a pop up ended the inning, but not before UNM scored a run on one timely hit and one walk.
DePaul tried to extend its lead further in the bottom of the fifth on a leadoff walk, a sacrifice bunt that moved the runner to second and a grounder to Haslam at second that pushed the runner to third. Ferguson ended the inning with a strikeout, leaving the runner on third.
After the Lobos went down in order in the top of the sixth, the Blue Demons led off with a double and the runner advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and an error by Wilmert at catcher. UNM got the second out on a pop up to Haslam at second, but DePaul was able to push across the run on a double to make it a two-run game at 4-2.
Down to its last three outs and needing two runs to tie, the Lobos gave themselves an opportunity early on in the inning with a leadoff walk by Peterson. With the top of the order up, UNM brought in pinch runner Aleyah Wilbon to run for Peterson, who was able to advance to second on a wild pitch. Taylor Jones entered as a pinch hitter for Howard and would be effective as she drew a walk. DeFlora moved the runners over into scoring position with a grounder to pitcher Krista Dalgarn, but Wilmert flied out to right to end the game with the tying run on second.
UNM concludes the Hawai’i Invitational with a second-place finish and a record of 5-9.
Up next for the Lobos is the Judi Garman Classic next weekend in Fullerton, Calif.