Lobos Lose Two on Final Day of Longhorn Invitational
AUSTIN, Texas— The University of New Mexico softball team would rally in the third inning against Liberty to tie the game at three, but a three-run home run in the fourth would break the tie en route to the eventual 11-3 loss to the Flames in the second game. Earlier in the day, the Lobos couldn’t overcome errors and perfect pitching by the Longhorns, falling 7-0 to No. 3/2 Texas.
Shortstop Cameryn O’Grady led the Lobos at the plate with two hits, both doubles, and freshman third baseman Rachael Hathoot would lead with two runs batted in. Andrea Howard would account for the other RBI with the trio representing the only UNM players to register a hit on the day.
Taryn Young would be the only other hitter to reach base, which came on a walk against Liberty.
UNM used five pitchers between the two games, with Kiana Spencer, Alexis Buddenhagen and Brianna Sanchez making an appearance in both games.
GAME ONE: TEXAS
Facing No. 3/2 Texas, the Lobos faced the perfect storm between Longhorn starting pitcher Miranda Elish and errors in the field as UT would take the opening game 7-0.
UNM would record a season-high seven errors in the game with four runs scoring as a direct result of the errors. The Longhorn right-hander struck out 10 and didn’t allow a Lobo to reach base, throwing her third career no-hitter and the second perfect game of her career.
Texas had its first hitters of the game reach base on a bunt and a walk to create early pressure on UNM. A throw down to third on a double steal resulted in a throwing error by catcher Leslie Romero, allowing the runner on third to score the first run of the game and a throwing error by Briana Martinez allowed the second runner to move to third. A sacrifice fly scored the runner on third before Spencer entered with runners on first and second with one out. Texas loaded the bases but Spencer got out of the inning on a strikeout.
Texas added a run in the second following a leadoff walk, a bunt that resulted in a throwing error by Hathoot at third which brought the run around after taking third on the error and continued on for home after no one covered home. The Longhorns loaded the bases but a foul out to Sydney Broderick and a pop out to Spencer left them loaded.
UNM retired the side in the third, but Texas plated two runs in the fourth on a leadoff double and a two-out single through the left side that led to an error by Martinez. The error resulted in another runner ending up on third, who would score on the next at-bat, on an infield single to Spencer.
The Longhorns put two on in the fifth, but Spencer would prevent any opportunity with her second strikeout of the game. Texas added a run in the sixth on a single, a double and a sacrifice fly and a final run on a fielding error by Taylor Jones that scored the runner from third, who advanced to the base on a wild pitch.
Spencer finished with 4.2 innings in the circle, allowing seven hits and five runs (four earned) and striking out two after entering in relief. Buddenhagen closed the game with the final inning, not allowing a hit on the four batters faced. Sanchez started the game, giving up two runs (one earned) on one hit.
GAME TWO: LIBERTY
The Lobos fell behind early to the Flames, but showed resiliency to pull even in the third. However, Liberty would score the final eight runs of the game, including seven in the fourth, in the 11-3, five-inning game.
O’Grady was one of three Lobos to record a hit, leading the team with two hits on three plate appearances. Hathoot finished with two runs batted in on her one hit of the game and Howard would record the final RBI on her lone hit in the game.
With O’Grady’s two doubles, the senior now has 15 this season with her career total at 43, which is tied for fourth all-time. She is now seven shy of the single-season program record and six shy of the program career record.
Two walks and two wild pitches scored the first run of the game for the Flames and a sacrifice fly made it 2-0 after the first inning. Bailey Klitzke lasted just six hitters, walking four, before being replaced in the circle by Kennedy Ferguson. Ferguson walked the first hitter she faced to load the bases but got out of the jam on a strikeout.
Liberty recorded the first hit of the game for either team on a two-out double and would add a run on a single to left field to score the runner from second in the second.
The Lobos answered in the top of the third to erase the deficit, all starting with Young at the bottom of the lineup.
A one-out walk by Young started the rally, followed up with a double to right field by O’Grady to put two runners in scoring position. Hathoot delivered on the next at-bat with a double of her own to left center to make it a one-run game. The Lobos would even the score on a single to center by Howard on a 3-2 pitch that scored Hathoot after the freshman third baseman was moved to third on the previous play. UNM scored three runs on three hits.
The Flames had two runners reach in the bottom of the inning, but Hathoot turned a double play, fielding the grounder, stepping on third and throwing to Gavyn Shafer at first for the third out. It was the 13th double play for UNM this season and the sixth for Hathoot.
Liberty broke the tie in the fourth with a three-run home run by Amber Bishop and would add four additional runs to pull away.
The defense would temporarily prevent the game-ending run in the bottom of the fifth after a leadoff runner tried to score from first on a double by Autumn Bishop to left field, getting thrown out at home on a relay from Martinez to O’Grady to Romero. Bishop took third on the throw home, which proved to be the difference as a sacrifice fly two at-bats later brought her in for the game-ending run.
UNM used five pitchers against Liberty with Ferguson picking up the loss after pitching 2.1 innings and allowing two runs (all earned) on four hits. Ferguson recorded the only strikeout for the Lobo in the game.
Next up for UNM (11-14) is a game against New Mexico State in Las Cruces on Wednesday, March 11 with first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m. MT.