ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– After the first three meetings between The University of New Mexico and New Mexico State in 2019, the rivalry comes to Albuquerque and Lobo Softball Field for the first time Tuesday in the final contest between the two teams this season.
First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
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ABOUT THE MATCHUP
Tuesday’s game will be the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this season. NMSU has won the three contests this year, with a 9-8 win on Feb. 9 at the NM State Invitational and two run-rule games in Las Cruces on April 2.
Against NMSU this year, Cameryn O’Grady leads the team with a .500 batting average (4-for-8), with two doubles and a home run, an RBI and an on-base percentage of .500. The junior also has a slugging percentage of 1.125. Andrea Howard has a team-best three RBI against the Aggies this season on a double and a home run. Sydney Broderick has two RBI, after hitting her first career home run on April 2.
UNM holds the advantage in triples (8-4), RBI (170-167) and walks (162-127).
LAST TIME OUT
UNM won one of three against MW preseason favorite Boise State, taking the first game 7-4 on Thursday night. The Broncos won the second game and pulled away in the sixth in Saturday’s game to win the series. In Thursday’s win, the Lobos scored seven unanswered runs to take a 7-3 lead, going ahead on a Bailey Klitzke three-run home run in the third and adding a two-run home run by D’Andra DeFlora in the fourth.
DeFlora hit two home runs in the series and posted a team-high six RBI with a 6-for-11 outing at the plate. The senior also added a double and had 13 total bases with a batting average of .545 (a team high), a slugging percentage of 1.182 and an on-base percentage of .583.
Lauren Wilmert tallied four RBI while Cameryn O’Grady, Monica Salas and Bailey Klitzke all had three RBI. The Lobos hit six home runs in the three games, with two from DeFlora, and one each from O’Grady, Salas, Klitzke and Wilmert.
DON’T COUNT THEM OUT
Trailing 5-0 in Saturday’s game against Boise State, the Lobos scored six runs in the third to take their first lead of the game. DeFlora got the Lobos on the board with a double down the left field line that scored Taylor Jones from first, taking third on a throw home and scored after the ball got away from the Broncos. An O’Grady double to left center scored Sydney Townes and Andrea Howard and a Salas double to center scored O’Grady and Klitzke to give UNM the 6-5 lead. When BSU regained the lead in the fifth, the Lobos again rallied to re-take the lead, with DeFlora hitting a three-run home run to put UNM back ahead 10-9.
MIXING IT UP
The Lobos have used 30 different lineups to date, only having duplicated their lineup eight times. UNM used the same lineup in the Arizona and Alabama game, the same lineup in the Cal State Fullerton and UTEP game, the same lineup against Hawai’i on Feb. 22 and DePaul on Feb. 23 and the same lineup against Tennessee and UConn. The Lobos used the same lineup in the second game at SDSU and the second game vs. CSU, the same lineup in the first and third games against Nevada and the second game against North Dakota and the second game against Nevada. Recently, UNM used the same lineup in both games at NMSU, in all three games at USU, versus UTEP and the first two games with Boise State.
UNM has had five different players in the leadoff spot in the lineup.Cameryn O’Grady moved into the leadoff hitter spot in the game against Canisius and played six games at the No. 1 spot in the batting order. Andrea Howard led off the lineup in 10 games and moved down to the No. 2 spot for 14 games, the third spot for 14 and the seventh spot in five games. Bailey Klitzke hit in the leadoff spot in three games, D’Andra DeFlora has led off in 23 games and Sydney Townes hit first in one. Maggie Buckholz has batted second in two games, DeFlora in 12 games and Aleyah Wilbon has hit second in 14. Taylor Jones hit second in the first game versus North Dakota and Townes hit second in the last game against BSU.
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
At the UNM Scholar-Athlete Awards on Monday night, D’Andra DeFlora was presented with the Loren Dils Lobo Courage Award, an award that recognizes a student-athlete who has overcome adversity with courage, unyielding perseverance and a positive spirit. Andrea Howard was named to the 2019 UNM All-Academic Team made up of the top academic performer on each team.
The Lobos had 12 sttudent-athletes named scholar-athletes: Cameryn O’Grady, Skylar Jenkins, Daryn Haslam, Monica Salas, D’Andra DeFlora, Andrea Howard, Kasey Halleen, Sydney Townes, Sydney Broderick, Aleyah Wilbon and Lauren Wilmert.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE
New Mexico State won its last game, but is 6-5 since the last time the Aggies played the Lobos.
The Aggies are outscoring opponents 191-176 but are being outhit 308-288. They are 38-52 in steal attempts while opponents are 14-17.
Victoria Castro leads the Aggies in hits (42), walks (22), doubles (13), batting average (.344) and on-base percentage (.442); Kelsey Horton leads in home runs (11), slugging percentage (.640) and total bases (80). Nikki Butler leads in RBI (29) and four players have recorded a triple.
The pitching staff has a collective ERA of 3.50 with the Aggies using four pitchers. Of the 308 hits allowed, 52 are doubles, nine triples and 35 home runs. They have 244 strikeouts to 100 walks. Of the 176 runs allowed, 137 have been earned. Samaria Diaz has appeared in a team-high 31 games and 20 starts, with 10 complete games, four shutouts and five saves in 120.2 innings of work. To date, Diaz is 9-8 with a 2.38 ERA, allowing 100 hits, 50 runs (41 earned), 52 walks and struck out 156. Analise De La Roca is 6-4 on the season, making 18 appearances and 13 starts with four complete games. In 64.0 innings of work, De La Roca has allowed 78 hits, 43 runs (28 earned) and 18 walks while striking out 25, and has an ERA of 3.06. Kayla Green has a 5.72 ERA with 67.1 innings in the circle, appearing in 22 games, starting in eight with two complete games and one shutout, and compiling a 7-6record. Green has given up 101 hits, 67 runs (55 earned), and walked 18 while striking out 49. Chloe Rivas has made 11 appearances with one start, with a 1-1 record. Rivas has an ERA of 4.52 after pitching 21.2 innings, allowing 29 hits, 16 runs (14 earned), walking 12 and striking out 14.
The Aggies are ranked 36th in home runs per game (1,07), 49th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.44) and 59th in slugging percentage (.458). Nikki Butler is 44th in the NCAA in hit by pitches per game (0.26), Kelsey Horton is 75th in sacrifice flies (3) and 83rd in home runs per game (0.26) and Samaria Diaz is fifth in saves (5) and 26th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.0).