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UNM Falls 6-2 to Cal State Fullerton in Late Night Contest

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TUCSON, Ariz.—  Missed opportunities were the story of the game as The University of New Mexico softball team lost late Friday night to Cal State Fullerton in the Hillenbrand Invitational by the score of 6-2.

The Lobos (2-3) left a total of 12 runners on base, including three innings with the bases loaded, while the Titans (6-1) left seven. UNM was just 1-of-7 in getting the leadoff hitter on base and 0-for-5 with the bases loaded.

UNM had runners on base in the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, with runners getting into scoring position in all but one, but couldn’t string together any hits to bring any of the runners in beyond two in the first.

The Lobos used all three pitchers in the outing, with Bailey Klitzke getting the start. However, the junior left-hander struggled to record an out in the bottom of the first and was pulled after two batters, giving up a walk and a two-run home run that tied the game.

Freshman Kennedy Ferguson entered the game and pitched 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and four runs, two of them earned, while striking out three and walking one on 27 batters faced. Ferguson was charged with the loss for the Lobos, her first of the season.

Kiana Spencer finished the game for the designated visiting team, throwing 0.2 innings and recording two outs on two batters faced.

At the plate, UNM was outhit 9-5 by CSUF, with UNM’s hits coming off of singles by Cameryn O’Grady, D’Andra DeFlora and Kasey Halleen as well as doubles by Monica Salas and Klitzke. However, the Lobos were able to reach base nine times via walks, with Maggie Buckholz drawing three and O’Grady two, compared to just two walks by Cal State Fullerton.

The Lobos were the first to strike in the top of the first on a two-out, two-run double to left center by Salas, scoring DeFlora and O’Grady, who had both reached on walks and had advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch.


However, the lead did not last long, as a leadoff walk followed by a home run by Ari Williams tied the game at two. Following back-to-back errors by the Lobos, the Titans took the lead on a double to left center by Zoe Richard that left runners on second and third before Ferguson ended the inning on a strikeout and two foul outs to Buckholz in right. The Titans scored three runs on two hits and two errors.

After the Lobos went down in order in the top of the second, Cal State Fullerton added a run in the bottom half of the inning and had runners on second and third, but a fly out to Buckholz in right ended the inning with the Titans once again leaving runners on second and third.

The Lobos had the bases loaded in the top of the fourth following Klitzke’s double and two walks by Buckholz and Halleen with just one out, but a strike out by Taylor Jones and fly out to center by Howard ended the inning without the Lobos able to cut into the deficit.

In the top of the sixth, Buckholz drew a one-out walk, followed by Halleen’s first hit of the season, a single through the right side, and a walk by Jones to load the bases. With the top of the order up, Howard had another opportunity with bases loaded but fouled out to left field, followed by a strikeout by DeFlora, leaving the bases loaded once more.

As the clock neared midnight, the Titans added another run on a single to left field in the bottom of the inning, leading to a pitching change by the Lobos.

Spencer entered the game, pitching for the second time on Friday after going a full seven innings earlier in the day against Alabama, and proceeded to get out of the inning on a groundout to Halleen at second and a fly out to Buckholz in right.

Down to the final three outs, the Lobos once again found themselves with bases loaded after three walks, a leadoff walk by O’Grady and two, two-out walks by Kliztke and Buckholz. Daryn Haslam entered the game as a pinch hitter for Halleen and lined out to first to end the inning and the game.

UNM returns to the field for day two of the Hillenbrand Invitational on Saturday with a game against No. 9 Arizona at 6 p.m. MT, followed immediately after by an 8:15 p.m. game against UIC.