Lobos Lose Two on Day Two of Judi Garman Classic
FULLERTON, Calif.— The University of New Mexico softball team dropped two games on the second day of the Judi Garman Classic after the Lobos were unable to complete the comeback in a 4-2 setback against Loyola Marymount to open the day followed by an a run-rule decision against No. 7 Tennessee on Friday afternoon.
Head coach Paula Congleton switched up the lineups on Friday, using two different lineups in the two games, with a different contributor stepping up in each game in their new role.
Hitting second versus LMU and dropping down in the order to sixth against Tennessee, D’Andra DeFlora went 3-for-6 on the day and 2-for-2 against Tennessee, which included a solo home run, the first for the Lobos this tournament and the first of the year for the senior. The outfielder tallied a team-high six total bases on the day and had five putouts in the field.
All three pitchers were used throughout the two games with freshman Kennedy Ferguson entering in relief in both games for the starters.
GAME ONE:
The Lobos found themselves down early in the early morning game against the Lions, and couldn’t recover as they fell by the score of 4-2.
Walks were the issue for UNM, as four walks led to the first run of the game for LMU in the top of the first.
The Lions added two more runs in the top of the second after a one-out walk advanced to third on a stolen base and a passed ball, with the runner eventually scoring on a single to the right side. Another walk led to runners being on first and second and the Lobos went to the bullpen to replace starter Bailey Klitzke after 1.2 innings.
The first batter that Ferguson faced singled through the left side to load the bases. A walk made it 3-0 LMU before Ferguson tallied her first of five strikeouts in the game to end the inning.
The Lobos had an opportunity to strike in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with one out, but a fly out to center, in which the center fielder threw home to prevent the tag from third resulted in DeFlora getting thrown out at second after being stuck between second and third and not being able to slide back into the bag. The inning ended without UNM being able to add any runs on the scoreboard.
LMU added one more run in the top of the fourth, and it wasn’t until the sixth that UNM finally broke through and got on the board.
While Klitzke was charged with a loss in the outing, the junior was also responsible for the two runs that UNM scored in the game.
Maggie Buckholz started the bottom half of the sixth with a single through the right side and advanced to second on a wild pitch the following at bat. Lauren Wilmert reached base on a walk and both runners tagged on a fly out to right field by Daryn Haslam the following at-bat . Klitzke squeezed a hit inside the left-field line with Wilmert and Buckholz on second and third and one out to cut the deficit in half, reaching second on the play. Klitzke stole third with two outs in the inning but couldn’t cross the plate as a strikeout ended the inning.
With one last chance in the bottom of the seventh, the Lobos got a runner on when O’Grady reached safely on a passed ball on a swinging third strike, eventually moving to second on a groundout by DeFlora, but a strikeout ended the game.
GAME TWO:
The Lobos hung close with the Lady Vols through the first two innings, matching their run in the top of the second with a run in the bottom on a DeFlora home run, before the Volunteers broke the game open with a pair of lopsided innings for the 15-1 five-inning run-rule loss.
Back hitting third in the lineup, junior Cameryn O’Grady went 2-for-3 against the Lady Vols, both singles, to accompany DeFlora’s perfect afternoon at the plate, both accounting for UNM’s four team hits.
While Kiana Spencer got the start in the circle, the junior LHP only pitched 2.0 innings before being pulled for Ferguson. The freshman pitched the remainder of the game, throwing an additional 105 pitches with 58 going for strikes. Ferguson tallied the lone strikeout of the contest for UNM, making it a streak of seven games in which the right-handed pitcher has collected at least one strikeout. Of her 11 appearances this season, there has only been one game in which she hasn’t recorded a strikeout. On the day, Ferguson threw 192 pitches for UNM.
After the leadoff batter walked to start the game, catcher Sydney Broderick eliminated the runner on an attempted steal, throwing to O’Grady at short who applied the tag. The Lady Vols put runners on the corners after another walk and a blooper that fell fair in shallow right field, but a fly out to DeFlora in left ended the top half of the inning.
The Lobos had solid at-bats in the bottom half of the inning, going deep in the counts and fouling off pitches as UNM made the starting pitcher Caylan Arnold throw 26 pitches in the first inning. O’Grady was the first to tally a hit against the Lady Vols after an eight pitch at-bat, including a ball that sailed just foul past the outfield wall, ultimately reaching base on a dribbler to third and beating the throw to first.
Tennessee (16-2) got on the board in the top of the second on a two-out double down the right-field line and a single to DeFlora in left. DeFlora threw home to Broderick, but Cailin Hannon got under the tag for the game’s first run.
On a 3-2 count with one out in the inning and on the eighth pitch of the at-bat, DeFlora tied the game with one swing, clearing the left field wall for a solo home run, the first of the season for the senior.
Andrea Howard followed that up with a seven-pitch walk after battling back from down 1-2 in the count, but unfortunately that was all the Lobos could string together.
Tennessee opened up the game in the top of the third, regaining the lead on a two-run home run by Haley Bearden followed by a solo shot by Kaili Phillips to take a 4-1 lead. The third-straight extra-base hit to lead off the top of the third, a double to left center by Ally Shipman, forced the Lobos to go to the bullpen to bring in Ferguson in relief. The Lady Vols would go on to score a total of six runs in the top half and would add one in the fourth and seven in the top of the fifth which included back-to-back home runs, a two-run and a solo.
Up next: The Lobos (5-12) are off on Saturday but return to Anderson Family Field for two final games on Sunday. UNM takes on UConn in an early morning game with a scheduled start time of 10:30 a.m. MT followed by a final game against host Cal State Fullerton at 2:30 p.m. MT. All games will be streamed on FloSoftball.