Lobos Drop First Two Games of GCU Kickoff Tournament
PHOENIX, Ariz.— The University of New Mexico softball team found itself on the losing end of both games to start the 2020 season at the GCU Kickoff Tournament with a 4-1 loss to Weber State and a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to (RV) Stanford.
In both games, the Lobos held early leads, and in the case of the game against the Stanford Cardinal, the Cherry and Silver got out to a quick 5-0 advantage before ultimately losing it in the bottom of the seventh. In the first game, the difference was a three-run fifth inning by the Wildcats to break the tie in the eventual 4-1 decision.
Additionally, in both games, the Lobos had their chances to claim the win, leaving 11 runners on base in each game and held the advantage in walks, earning their way on base with nine against Weber State and eight against Stanford. In comparison, the UNM pitchers allowed just three to each team.
Of note, the Lobos started three freshmen in both games in Briana Martinez, Rachael Hathoot and Gavyn Shafer, with Hathoot leading off both games. Transfer Taryn Young also started both games in her first appearances as a Lobo, recording her first collegiate hit in her first at-bat for UNM and her first-ever collegiate start. Reyan Tuck entered as a pinch hitter against Stanford for her first collegiate at-bat as did Skylar Jenkins, who missed last year due to injury.
Cameryn O’Grady and Young each recorded two hits on the day with two doubles and two RBI from O’Grady, with the senior shortstop also drawing three walks.
Martinez would also conclude opening day with three walks between her two starts and would pick up her first collegiate RBI.
Five different Lobos recorded at least one RBI, with one each from Andrea Howard, Shafer (her first collegiate RBI) and Lauren Wilmert. Sydney Broderick tallied the first home run of the season for UNM in the seventh against Stanford.
GAME ONE: Weber State
The University of New Mexico gained the early lead in the season opener against Weber State but the storyline of the game was runners left on base. UNM left a total of 11 runners on base, getting runners on board in all but two innings including a bases loaded situation in the third.
Weber State (1-0) outhit the Lobos 9-2 in the contest with UNM’s two hits coming on a single by Young in the second inning and a double by O’Grady to start the bottom of the seventh as the Lobos tried to mount a comeback.
UNM (0-1) would bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom half of the seventh with no one out on O’Grady’s double and a walk by Martinez, but two strikeouts and a line out to first ended the game.
The Lobos had their chances, showing patience at the plate and drawing nine walks in the game with two each from Hathoot, O’Grady, Martinez and Wilmert, but each time the Wildcats got out of the inning with the Lobos unable to capitalize.
Getting the ball to start the season, sophomore Kennedy Ferguson kept WSU off of the board through the first three innings with two strikeouts, while the Lobos put pressure on Weber State’s starting pitcher Mariah Ramirez with two runners on base in each of the innings.
In their first at-bats of the 2020 season, the Lobos showed patience at the plate with back-to-back walks by Hathoot and O’Grady, with both getting ahead on 3-0 counts. However, two strikeouts and a line out to right field stemmed the inning.
The Lobos again put runners in scoring position with a one-out walk by Wilmert and a two-out single by Young to center that allowed Wilmert to advance to third and Young taking second on the throw in, in the second inning, although a ground out kept them stranded.
In the top of the third, the Lobos went through the inning with three up, three down with Ferguson throwing just 10 pitches to record the three outs. In the bottom half, the Lobos scored the first run of the game with freshmen accounting for the RBI and the run scored.
UNM loaded the bases on a one-out walk, an error by Weber State that allowed Martinez to advance to second and Bailey Klitzke to reach on a fielder’s choice, and a walk by Howard. Shafer flied out to left for the second out, but Martinez was able to tag from third to score the first run of the season for the Lobo lead. A Wilmert walk re-loaded the bases but the Lobos were unable to capitalize on the situation.
The lead was short as the Wildcats tied the game on a solo home run to left by Chloe Camarero in the top of the fourth.
In the Lobos’ next turn at-bat, a Hathoot walk followed with an O’Grady walk put the Lobos back in scoring position. A grounder to third moved the runners up to second and third, but again the Lobos left the runners stranded to keep the score tied at one.
The Wildcats made quick work to go ahead, with a leadoff single up the middle and a one-out triple to right center to put WSU in front 2-1. Weber State added another run on the next at-bat with a single to left and would get one more in the inning to make it 4-1 before a relay from O’Grady to third on a single down the left-field line recorded the final out of the inning.
UNM used three pitchers in the game, with Ferguson recording a final line of 53 strikes on 82 pitches thrown, two strikeouts, one walk, six hits, three runs (all earned) in 4.1 innings of work in the loss. Klitzke entered to face just two batters before Brianna Sanchez made her collegiate debut, throwing 2.1 clean innings. The freshman gave up three hits while recording her first collegiate strikeout and threw 23 strikes on 31 total pitches.
It is just the second time that UNM has lost its season opener in the last five years and brings the overall record in season openers to 26-17.
GAME TWO: Stanford
Without any time between the two games, the Lobos were back on the field to face (RV) Stanford, which may have worked to their advantage. UNM had the early momentum, opening the game with two runs in the top of the first and building the lead in the second for an early 5-0 lead.
Hathoot opened the contest with a single up the middle and O’Grady brought her in with a double to center on the next at-bat. After walks from Martinez and Klitzke, Howard hit a single up the middle to score O’Grady, but the inning would end with the Lobos leaving three on base.
In the second inning, Young started off the Lobos with a single to left and consecutive Cardinal errors on the next two plays allowed Young to score to make it 3-0. A Martinez single to right, the first collegiate hit for the Albuquerque native, added another UNM run and four batters later, Wilmert earned her way on base with a hit-by-pitch that scored O’Grady for the third run of the inning.
UNM (0-2) would record five of its seven total hits in the first two innings. Seven different Lobos would register a hit in the game and UNM drew eight walks, with two each from Klitzke, a career high for the senior, and Shafer .
The Lobo bats would quiet for the next three innings until Klitzke singled to right to put two runners on base with one out in the sixth. UNM would again move a runner to third and would load the bases with a walk by Shafer, but the bases would remain loaded.
Stanford (2-0) closed the Lobo lead in the bottom of the sixth with two runs to make it 5-4 but Sanchez kept the Lobos in front, getting out of the inning with a grounder to Hathoot at third to leave a Cardinal at third.
Broderick provided a little cushion with a solo home run to start the seventh, the second of her career, and the first of the season for UNM.
The Cardinal answered back in the bottom half of the inning, getting their first two hitters on with a walk and single to center. The Lobos recorded two consecutive outs with a fly out to Howard in center and a strikeout by Sanchez, who battled back from down 3-0 in the count to tally the strikeout, but a single to right field scored a run and a stolen base and single to center on a full count on the next at-bat scored two more as Stanford walked off with a 7-6 win.
Much like the opening game of the day for UNM, the Lobos had plenty of chances, leaving 11 batters on base and had four of their leadoff hitters reach successfully.
Kiana Spencer got the ball to start and pitched well in the early innings before running in to trouble in the fourth, not allowing a hit until the bottom of the third. The senior pitcher finished with a stat line of 5.2 innings, four runs (all earned) on eight hits, striking out one and allowing two walks and threw 61 strikes on 101 total pitches.
Sanchez entered the contest in the sixth and worked out of an inherited runner on third. The freshman took the loss, finishing with a final line of 1.0 inning pitched, three runs (all earned) on three hits, one walk and one strikeout, throwing 23 strikes on 38 pitches.
Up next: UNM returns to the diamond for the second day of the GCU Kickoff Tournament with an early morning rematch with Stanford set for 10:30 a.m. MT and a 3:30 p.m. game against host Grand Canyon.