O’Grady Homers, UNM Falls to Nevada
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Cameryn O’Grady tallied her fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the second to score the only run for The University of New Mexico softball team on Sunday afternoon at Lobo Softball Field, as the Lobos closed out the series with a loss to Nevada.
Unfortunately for the Lobos, O’Grady’s hit was the only hit of the game and the Wolf Pack had already built an 8-0 lead to that point to which UNM could not come back from.
B2 | Cameryn O'Grady hits a home run to dead center for the UNM's first run of the game! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/tayr99Iqo5
— UNM Softball (@UNMLoboSB) March 31, 2019
UNM had just three other players reach base, two coming on walks in the third, which were drawn by MacKenzie Peterson and pinch hitter Sydney Townes, and Lauren Wilmert, who reached on an error in the fourth.
O’Grady’s home run gave the junior shortstop her most home runs hit in a season and came on a 2-0 count to lead off the bottom of the second.
UNM used a total of five pitchers in the game, with Kennedy Ferguson getting the start in the circle. The freshman lasted just 1.1 innings after taking a ball to the face on a hit back up the middle in the top of the second. The right-hander stayed in for four more batters before being replaced by Bailey Klitzke, who began the game as the designated player. Ferguson’s final line was three hits, five runs, four earned and 33 pitches thrown on nine batters faced. Ferguson walked one and struck out two, with both strikeouts coming in the first in the loss.
Klitzke threw just 14 pitches on four batters faced before exiting the game in the second with Emma Steltzer taking the ball. Steltzer threw 1.1 innings, her longest outing of the season, with 40 pitches on 11 batters faced, throwing the most pitches and facing the most hitters out of the Lobo pitchers on the day.
After Nevada made it 13-1, Steltzer turned the ball over to Aleyah Wilbon, who was replaced in left field by Leslie Romero. Making her first appearance in the circle this season, Wilbon threw 26 pitches and faced 10 batters in 1.0 innings of work before Kasey Halleen entered the game to replace Wilbon. Also making her first appearance in the circle this season, Halleen recorded a strikeout and threw 33 pitches against nine batters faced.
T5 | Kasey Halleen with the strikeout! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/PrOdFA7I8w
— UNM Softball (@UNMLoboSB) March 31, 2019
The Lobos travel to Las Cruces for a doubleheader against New Mexico State on Tuesday, with the first game scheduled for 4 p.m.