Lobos Travel to Texas Tech for Three-Game Series
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M– The University of New Mexico softball team travels to Lubbock, Texas to take on Texas Tech in a three-game series starting Friday.
Of note, there has been a schedule change with the Lobos playing the Red Raiders twice on Friday, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. MT, and once on Saturday at 11 a.m.
All three games will be available to watch on ESPN+ which will require a subscription.
UNM enters the series with Texas Tech after facing ranked teams in all three previous weekends, most recently then-No. 9/8 Oklahoma State in a doubleheader. UNM held close, narrowing the score to 3-2 in the fifth before falling 7-2 in the first game. In the second game, the Lobos took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second and were tied 1-1 with the Cowgirls until the bottom of the fifth in the 4-1 loss.
Senior shortstop Cameryn O’Grady is on record watch, sitting at 46 career doubles and just three shy of setting the school record currently set by Marianna Fenelli (1998-01).
The Red Raiders are 9-8 on the year with wins over Colorado State (3-1 and 3-0), Texas A&M (2-1), North Dakota State (6-1), Abilene Christian (7-2, 1-0), Southeast Missouri (7-1), UMKC (4-3) and Texas State (7-2). At home, TTU is 4-2. Karli Hamilton leads Texas Tech with a .348 batting average and 27 total bases, with 16 hits, four doubles, one home run and two triples. Hamilton leads with five walks and is one of three players with a team-high six RBI, joined by Zoe Jones and Ellie Bailey. Jones and Alanna Barraza each have hit two home runs to lead in the category, with a total of eight different players hitting a home run this season. On the base paths, Texas Tech is 18-20 in stolen bases with Abbie Orrick and Yvonne Whaley 4-4 and Heaven Burton 6-7. Six players have successfully stolen a base.
In the circle, TTU has used four pitchers to date, led by Erin Edmoundson who has pitched in 10 games with nine starts. The LHP is 4-4 with a 3.23 ERA and thrown one shutout and three complete games with 52.0 innings pitched. Morgan Hornback has also made 10 appearances with two starts, throwing 28.1 innings and carries a 5.19 ERA as a RHP. RHP Missy Zoch has started six games with seven appearances and one complete game on 32.0 innings pitched. Zoch has a team-best 2.84 ERA and a 4-2 record. Kamryn Caldwell has thrown just 6.1 innings on five appearances and carries a 3.32 ERA. As a staff, the pitchers have a 3.60 ERA with 104 hits allowed, 62 runs (61 earned), 56 walks and 97 strikeouts.
Texas Tech is 17th in the NCAA in fielding percentage (.983), 71st in triples per game (0.24) and 73rd in doubles (17). Karli Hamilton is 20th in the country in triples (two) and Erin Edmoundson is 55th in strikeouts (44) with Morgan Hornback 29th in saves (one). Edmoundson leads the Big 12 in strikeouts.
UNM is 28-23 all-time against TTU, with its last win coming in a 14-13, 10-inning result on March 2, 2018.