BOX SCORE (PDF)
LAS CRUCES, N.M.— Patience at the plate coupled with timely hitting allowed The University of New Mexico softball team to build an early lead in the season opener Friday afternoon en route to a commanding 15-6 victory over UTEP at the NM State Invitational.
The nine-run differential was the largest margin of victory for UNM in a season opener since 2011, when the Lobos defeated Utah Valley 10-2.
With the win, UNM is now 4-1 in season openers in the last five years and moves to 26-16 all-time.
As a team, the Lobos recorded nine hits while drawing 16 walks, with five different Lobos recording multiple RBI in the game. Seven of the 15 runs came from new additions to the 2019 roster and five came with two outs in the inning. The leadoff hitter reached base six times.
“It was nice to get our first win on opening day,” head coach Paula Congleton said. “We did a lot of good things, mainly nine hits and 15 RBI.”
In her first game at UNM, junior Bailey Klitzke went 4-of-5 from the plate, recording four RBI to tie for the team high in runs-batted-in. Senior Monica Salas plated a career-high four RBI of her own on two hits, including a three-run home run that made it 10-0 Lobos in the fourth.
Getting the ball to start the game, Klitzke was in command in the circle early on, throwing three scoreless innings and not allowing a hit until the top of the fourth. The left-hander pitched five complete innings, giving up five hits and five earned runs in the game while striking out eight on 27 batters faced to earn the win.
The Lobos were quick to strike, leading off the game by putting pressure on UTEP starting pitcher Kira McKechnie. In the top of the first, the Lobos loaded the bases on two walks and a hit-by-pitch before freshman Maggie Buckholz singled down the left-field line in her first collegiate at-bat to score Cameryn O’Grady and Andrea Howard for the first two runs of the game.
UTEP ultimately used four pitchers in the contest, with McKechnie lasting only one inning after giving up three earned runs on one hit and four walks on eight batters faced. Bryana Munoz entered the game in relief in the top of the second and fared no better, lasting 0.1 of an inning after giving up one hit, four walks and four earned runs on just six batters faced. Munoz was charged with the loss as the Miners fall to 1-1 on the season.
The offense erupted in the top of the second with the Lobos scoring five runs on two hits and drawing five walks, leading to three runs on consecutive walks alone.
After D’Andra DeFlora singled to move Kasey Halleen to third and Howard to second to load the bases, O’Grady walked to score Halleen, Lauren Wilmert walked to score Howard, followed by a walk by Buckholz to score DeFlora for her third RBI on the day. Nadya Orozco replaced Munoz, who struck out Salas to momentarily stem the tide for the Miners, but Klitzke continued the damage the following at bat. With runners still on second and third, Klitzke singled to right field for two RBI that made it 7-0 in favor of the Cherry and Silver.
After a scoreless inning by both squads in the third, the Lobos’ scoring resumed in the top half of the fourth, plating three more runs.
With one out and two Lobos on base following back-to-back walks by O’Grady and Wilmert to start the inning, Salas cleared the bases with a home run to left center, the first of the season for UNM and the third in Salas’ career.
The Miners got on the board in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded walk by Sky Estrada, but Klitzke prevented any further damage by inducing a groundout to second to end the inning.
Heading into the fifth with a 10-1 advantage, UNM got the run back on a single up the middle from O’Grady, scoring Howard from second after she walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
UTEP threatened to make it a contest in the bottom half of the inning with four runs on three hits, with most of the damage being done on a two out, three-run double by Mallori Cross that made it 11-5 UNM and extended the game for the Miners.
The sixth produced another scoreless frame from both teams, but the Lobos closed the game like they started the game, putting runners on the basepaths through walks which resulted in runs.
Freshman Daryn Haslam walked to open the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Howard followed that up with a walk and DeFlora earned her way on base through a hit-by-pitch to load the bases. After O’Grady struck out swinging to record the first out, Wilmert drew yet another walk, her third of the game, to score Haslam for her second RBI of the afternoon. Buckholz reached on a fielder’s choice to the pitcher for the second out, but Salas singled through the left side in the next at-bat to bring in DeFlora. Klitzke kept the inning alive with a single down the left-field line, which scored two more runs in Wilmert and Buckholz for the 10-run lead of 15-5. The Lobos closed the inning with four runs on two hits and three walks, with both hits coming with two outs in the inning.
Kennedy Ferguson pitched the final two innings for the Lobos, giving up one earned run on two hits and striking out two on eight batters faced.
“We saw some things we will continue to work on both offensively and defensively,” said Congleton following the game. “We are looking forward to playing tomorrow.”
Up next for the Lobos is a 10 a.m. MT contest against Creighton, who lost 13-4 in the opening game of the NM State Invitational on Friday to UTEP. Following the game against the Bluejays, the Lobos will close out the tournament against New Mexico State with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.