BOX SCORE (PDF)
LAS CRUCES, N.M.– The University of New Mexico softball team was efficient on Saturday morning at the NM State Softball Complex, using two innings of offense and a resilient defense to run-rule Creighton by a score of 8-0 in five innings.
UNM outhit Creighton, the preseason favorite in the BIG EAST, 9-3 in the game and drew four walks in the contest.
Offensively, UNM was led by clutch hitting at the top of the lineup in junior shortstop Cameryn O’Grady and senior outfielder D’Andra DeFlora.
O’Grady was a perfect 3-of-3 from the plate, with a team-high four RBI, on a single in the first, a two-run home run in the second and a triple in the fourth, finishing a double shy of a cycle. DeFlora doubled in the second prior to the O’Grady home run to clear the bases for the first three runs of the game. Lauren Wilmert produced the final run of the game in the fourth on a single.
Although the Bluejays got to starting pitcher Kiana Spencer early, the junior left-handed pitcher threw the full five innings, giving up only three hits in her first appearance in the circle for the Lobos. The Gallup, N.M., native struck out two while walking five, throwing a total of 91 pitches, 42 of them going for strikes and facing 24 batters to earn the win.
Creighton (0-3) left nine runners on base, compared to just four for UNM.
Spencer went deep into the counts the first inning in the circle, but the defense was there to back her up as the Lobos escaped the inning leaving Bluejay runners on first and second and only giving up one hit.
In the bottom half, O’Grady singled for the first hit of the day for UNM, and a two-out Wilmert walk put runners on first and second, but the Lobos couldn’t get anything more.
Creighton loaded the bases in the second with a walk, a single and a hit-by-pitch with only one out, but two pop ups to Wilmert at first and Taylor Jones at second ended the inning for the Lobos without any damage done.
For the second game in-a-row, the Lobo offense got rolling in the second inning, putting up another five runs in the inning.
Monica Salas singled down the left-field line on a 2-1 pitch to start the inning and Bailey Klitzke followed that up by drawing a four-pitch walk. The runners moved in to scoring position on a passed ball, and Howard was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs in the inning. On a 2-2 count, after at one point being behind 0-2, DeFlora doubled down the left-field line to empty the bases, giving UNM a 3-0 lead. O’Grady took a 3-2 pitch on the next at-bat yard, clearing the right field wall for a two-run home run that extended the Lobo lead to 5-0. The Lobos scored five runs on three hits in the inning.
UNM produced a clean sheet in the top of the third as the Bluejays went down in order with Spencer tallying another strike out.
The Lobos threatened again in the bottom of the third with back-to-back singles by Salas and Klitzke, with Salas advancing to third and Klitzke to second on a fielding error by Creighton. However, the Lobos couldn’t put any runs on the board. Salas finished the day going 2-for-3 at the plate with two singles, while Klitzke went 1-for-1 with a single and a walk.
The fourth inning mirrored the second in that while Creighton got on base, the defense turned them away behind a flyout and a pop up. The Bluejays had runners on the corners in the top of the fourth after a walk and a single through the right side, but a flyout to center and a pop up to O’Grady allowed the Lobos to again go unscathed.
In similar fashion, the Lobos responded in the bottom half of the inning by putting runs on the board, with the top of the order coming through once more.
Andrea Howard led off with a bunt and a walk by DeFlora put the Lobos in position to add to their lead. O’Grady drove a 3-1 pitch to right field for a triple, bringing in Howard and DeFlora for the 7-0 advantage. Wilmert produced the final run of the game on a single to left field to score O’Grady, and chased the Creighton pitcher.
Creighton starting pitcher Kiele Miller lasted 3.0 innings, allowing nine hits and eight earned runs, while recording four walks and seven strikeouts in just 22 batters faced. Miller threw a total of 105 pitches, 55 of them going for strikes, in the loss.
Laura Roecker entered the game in relief with a runner on first and no one out, but shut down the Lobos with a strikeout and a double play.
However, the damage was already done as the Lobos just needed three more outs to secure the win. While the Bluejays put two on base through walks, and advanced runners to third and second, a final pop up to Salas at third provided the final out and the second victory of the weekend for the Lobos.
UNM has one game remaining in the NM State Invitational this afternoon against NMSU, with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. MT.