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Rally Comes Up Short as UNM Falls 4-3 to SDSU

Lauren WilmertLauren Wilmert

SAN DIEGO, Calif.–  Lauren Wilmert hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh to make it a one-run game with no one out on Sunday afternoon at SDSU Softball Stadium to give UNM a chance to complete the seventh-inning comeback, but the rally fell just short as the Aztecs emerged with a 4-3 victory.

The junior catcher went 3-for-4 in the cleanup spot with two singles and a home run and led the Lobos with two runs-batted-in. It was the sixth time this season that Wilmert has recorded multiple hits in a game. Batting behind her in the order, Bailey Klitzke recorded her fourth multi-hit game of the season with two hits on three at-bats while also tallying a walk. Klitzke put UNM on the board in the top of the fifth with a triple to right to score Andrea Howard, who led off the inning with a triple of her own.

UNM outhit SDSU by a slim 8-7 margin in the game but also left a total of 10 runners on base to eight for the Aztecs.

For the first time this series, SDSU was the first to push runs across, and also in another first, the runs didn’t occur in the first inning.

Both teams loaded the bases in their first plate appearances, and in both instances, the defense escaped without giving up any runs.

For UNM, D’Andra DeFlora reached on an error to the third baseman to start the game and Wilmert moved her to third on a hit that dropped into shallow right field. Klitzke reached base on a walk to load them but UNM couldn’t push any runs across.

In the bottom half of the inning, Kiana Spencer inherited runners on first and second with one out and recorded her first strikeout on her first hitter and got out of the inning on a grounder to Cameryn O’Grady at short, leaving the bases loaded.

It wasn’t until the third that San Diego State opened the game with three runs in the home half of the inning.

A leadoff double moved to third on a fly ball to right and a single to center by Taylor Adams scored the runner for the first run of the game. The Lobos recorded a bases loaded force out at home on a grounder back to Spencer for the second out, but a hit to center dropped just out of reach of Howard to score two to make it 3-0 Aztecs.

UNM got on the board in the top of the fifth with the leadoff hitter providing the catalyst.

Howard connected on a 3-2 pitch, sending it to right center for her second triple of the season and second in five games, and with two outs, Klitzke sent a ball to right to score Howard from third for the second triple of the inning, also her second triple of the season.


The Aztecs got the run back on a single to center, scoring a run on two hits, which proved to be the difference in the game.

Down three and down to their final three outs, O’Grady led off with a full-count walk to bring up Wilmert.  Wilmert gave the Lobos life with a two-run home run as the ball hit off of the right fielder’s glove and went over the wall to make it a one-run game at 4-3 with no one out. It was the fourth home run of the season for Wilmert, a team high.


However, UNM couldn’t generate anything more as the next three hitters were retired to give SDSU the narrow win and the series. It was the second-straight, one-run final for the two teams with SDSU edging out UNM.

All three pitchers made an appearance in the game, with Spencer recording the loss on a 3.2 inning outing in the circle, giving up five hits and three runs, while also walking three and striking out three on 19 batters faced. Klitzke started the game but lasted only three batters before being replaced by Spencer. Kennedy Ferguson entered for the final 2.0 innings of play, registering two strikeouts in the outing and for the third-straight game, didn’t allow a walk. Ferguson gave up two hits and one earned run on eight batters faced.

UNM (8-18, 1-2 MW) continues Mountain West play next weekend as the Lobos open up their home schedule against Colorado State, with the home opener scheduled for 6 p.m. MT on Friday.