ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– The University of New Mexico softball team remains on the road as the Lobos travel to Logan, Utah for a weekend series starting on Friday afternoon.
UNM NOTES | LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
The Aggies won two out of three games last year in Albuquerque, however the Lobos lead the overall series 26-21.
UNM lost the series opener 1-0, although Andrea Howard and Aleyah Wilbon both went 2-for-2 in the game. The Lobos evened the series in game two with an 8-5 win, with O’Grady 3-for-4 and scoring three RBI.
Lauren Wilmert was 1-for-3 with two RBI on a double in the third as UNM got out to a 3-0 lead. Utah State took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the sixth, at which point, UNM scored four runs on a single by O’Grady to score a run and two Aggie errors that led to three runs scoring to put the Lobos ahead 8-5. USU won the third game 5-1 to win the series. Cameryn O’Grady had a team-high three RBI in the series, going 4-for-9 at the plate with two doubles and a triple and a team-high eight total bases. O’Grady had a slugging percentage of .889 and an on-base percentage of .545. Wilbn had a .667 on-base percentage and drew a team-high three walks in the three games.
Both teams enter the weekend with similar stats. USU holds a slight edge in runs (150-147), hits (216-212), home runs (26-25), and RBI (141-139). UNM holds the advantage in triples (8-2), doubles (40-32) and walks (136-83), opposing batters struck out (150-100) and ERA (5.85-6.24).
LAST TIME OUT
UNM dropped a doubleheader on Tuesday to NMSU. Sydney Broderick hit her first career home run in the top of the second in the second game, a two-run home run that extended UNM’s lead to 3-0. The home run also allowed the sophomore to tie her career high in RBI (two) and total bases (four). Broderick also drew the only walk between the two games for the Lobos and had a team-high four total bases, two RBI and 1.333 slugging percentage on the day.Monica Salas went 2-for-4 at the plate with two hits, including a double in the top of the sixth of the first game for UNM’s first hit and first baserunner of the game. Salas led the team in batting average and tied Broderick for the team high in on-base percentage (.500).
SCOUTING UTAH STATE
USU is 11-18 and 2-6 in MW play entering the weekend, and have lost its last four games. The Aggies are 1-1 at home. Utah State has played three common non-conference opponents with UNM in LMU, Cal State Fullerton and Florida. The Aggies lost to LMU and Cal State Fullerton by scores of 3-2 and lost to then-No. 4 Florida 13-1 in five innings.
The Aggies have been shutout three times, and have shutout opponents three times. Four wins have come via run-rules and seven losses have come via run-rule. USU has played just one extra-inning game, a 5-2 loss to Ball State that went eight innings.
Opponents are outscoring the Aggies 164-144 and outhitting them 214-207.
Riley Plogger (30) and Lexi Orozco (29) lead the team in hits with Orozco leading in batting average (.357), slugging percentage (.679), RBI (26), doubles (6), home runs (7) and total bases (57). Plogger leads in walks (19) and on-base percentage (.500). Ryann Holmes and Stephanie Reed have the only triples on the team and Kenzie Bolin leads in hit-by-pitches with seven.
As a team, USU is 5-for-8 on stolen base attempts, while opponents are 25-for-30.
The pitching staff has a collective ERA of 6.24 with the Aggies using three pitchers. Of the 223 hits allowed, 40 are doubles, four triples and 35 home runs. They have 100 strikeouts to 92 walks. Of the 173 runs allowed, 155 have been earned. Delaney Hull has appeared in 19 games with a team-high 15 starts, with six complete games and one shutout in 74.2 innings of work. To date, Hull with a 5.81 ERA, allowing 96 hits, 68 runs (62 earned), 30 walks and struck out 41 and has a 7-6 record. Kapri Toone is 2-8 on the season, making 21 appearances and nine starts with two complete games. In 61.1 innings of work, Toone has allowed 73 hits, 65 runs (57 earned) and 42 walks while striking out 35, and has an ERA of 6.51. Chloe Nightingale has a 6.63 ERA with 38.0 innings in the circle, appearing in 15 games, starting in five, and compiling a 2-4 record. Nightingale has given up 54 hits, 40 runs (36 earned), and walked 19 while striking out 24.
The Aggies are ranked 58th in home runs per game (0.90), 76th in scoring (5.17) and 86th in slugging percentage (.434). Kenzie Bolin is 50th in hit-by-pitches per game (0.27), Riley Plogger is 68th in on-base percentage (.500) and 70th in runs per game (0.97) and 72nd in walks (0.66). Erin Kuba is 42nd in walks (0.71) and 68th in on-base percentage (.493).