Lobos Hang Close in 5-3 Loss to No. 10/11 Texas
AUSTIN, Texas— The University of New Mexico softball team gave No. 10/11 Texas all it could handle early on in Friday’s series opener before eventually falling 5-3 to the Longhorns.
Patience at the plate paid off as the Lobos scored two runs in the top of the first, set up by three-straight walks for Peyton Robinson, Cameryn O’Grady and Andrea Howard. After a quick pitching change by Texas, Rachael Hathoot opened the scoring with a fielder’s choice to second that allowed Texas native Robinson to score and put runners on the corners. With two outs in the inning, the Lobos pulled a double steal with O’Grady stealing home for the second run of the inning.
UNM scored two runs without a hit being recorded.
In the circle, junior and another Texas native Emma Guindon kept the Longhorns off the board through the first three innings, not allowing a hit until the bottom of the third on a two-out single up the middle.
Texas got to the right-handed pitcher in the fourth, leading off the inning with a double down the left-field line followed by a single up the middle that scored the runner from second and allowed the Longhorn to take second on the throw home. A grounder to first moved the runner up to third, which was brought in on the next at-bat on a bunt to Guindon that tied the game at two.
A one-out home run by Colleen Sullivan in the bottom of the fifth broke the tie.
The Lobos had a chance to tie in the sixth, loading the bases on Hathoot reaching on a fielder’s choice, a single to left by Izabella Owen and a single to the pitcher by Briana Martinez. However, a strikeout ended the inning and left the bases loaded.
Texas added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run home run by Brianna Cantu, leading to Ashlyn Roberts entering in relief in the circle for the Lobos. Sydney Broderick limited the runs, throwing out a runner trying to steal second for the first out, with the Lobos retiring the next two batters to end the inning.
Down 5-2 in the top of the seventh, Taryn Young hit a one-out double down the right-field line followed by Robinson reaching on a bunt to the pitcher that put runners on the corners and brought the tying run to the plate. A groundout to the pitcher put two runners in scoring position as Robinson moved to second on the play and a single by Howard scored Young. A lineout halted the potential for further runs as the Lobos fell 5-3.
Leading off for the first time this season, Robinson had one hit and reached on a walk, while Howard went 2-for-3 at the plate and was responsible for one RBI. UNM tallied six hits in the game on the bats of four different players, with Texas finishing with seven. Comparatively, UNM left seven runners on base while Texas left six.
Guindon threw 5.0 innings on Friday, allowing all seven hits and five runs, with Roberts pitching 1.0 inning and not allowing a hit on three batters faced, but did allow one walk.
The Lobos face the Longhorns twice on Saturday to close out the series, with the first game of the doubleheader scheduled for 11 a.m. MT followed by a 1:30 p.m. start time for game two.