FRESNO, Calif.— Junior Lauren Wilmert threw out a career-high two runners trying to steal and Aleyah Wilbon tallied one hit and drove in the lone Lobo run on Friday night at Margie Wright Diamond as The University of New Mexico fell in five innings to Fresno State in the series’ opener.
UNM had just two hits on the night, with the other coming on the bat of D’Andra DeFlora that set up the Lobo run in the top of the third, but the Bulldogs responded with the next six runs in the game to win 9-1.
Wilbon started off the game with a one-out single to left field, but two strikeouts left her stranded on first. The Lobos kept the Bulldogs off the board in the bottom half with strong defensive plays. Wilmert threw out her sixth runner of the season with Kasey Halleen applying the tag at second after McKenzie Wilson led off with a single and attempted to steal on the next at-bat. During the same at-bat, Halleen charged at a ball that hit off of starting pitcher Kiana Spencer’s glove and used her glove to flip the ball to Taylor Jones at first in time for the out. Wilbon tracked down a liner hit to left field to end the inning.
Fresno State got on the board in the second, loading the bases before Spencer recorded the first out on a called third strike for her first strikeout of the game. A hit-by-pitch brought in the first run of the game, a groundout to Halleen at second scored the second run and a single to left made it 3-0.
The Lobos got on the board in their following at-bats in the top of the third with one run on one hit and one error. UNM had runners on the corners after a one-out walk by Jones and a hard hit ball to the shortstop by DeFlora, with Vanessa M. Hernandez throwing the ball away on a throw to second, allowing Jones to advance to third. Wilbon followed up with a grounder to second that scored Jones for the Lobos’ run and Wilbon’s second RBI of the season.
However, the Bulldogs got the run back with a one-out solo home run to center and added another run on a single through the left side with bases loaded too push the deficit to four at 5-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulldogs hit a grand slam that made it 9-1 before the Lobos got out of the inning on a groundout to Monica Salas at third for the second out and Wilmert throwing out her second runner of the game, as well as seventh of the season and 12th of her career, with Cameryn O’Grady applying the tag. The Lobos have thrown out 12 runners on the season, which is more than UNM had all of last season.
Both instances Wilmert threw out Fresno State’s Wilson, who entered the game 30-for-35 in steals.
Spencer got the ball to start the game, lasting 3.0 innings before being replaced by Bailey Klitzke. Spencer threw 68 pitches with 39 going for strikes on 21 batters faced, striking out one and allowing six runs on eight hits for the loss.
Klitzke finished the game, throwing the final 1.0 innings in the circle and giving up three runs on three hits.
The Lobos left two runners on base compared to seven for Fresno State, with O’Grady joining Wilbon as the runner stranded after being issued a walk in the fourth.
UNM faces Fresno State in game two of the series on Saturday at 4 p.m. MT/ 3 p.m. PT.