Hathoot Leads Lobos to Saturday Split with Spartans
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Rachael Hathoot went 4-for-5 at the plate, with two doubles and a two-run home run for five runs-batted-in, as The University of New Mexico split Saturday’s doubleheader with San José State to begin Senior Weekend.
Hathoot was one of three Lobos to hit a home run on the day, joined by Cameryn O’Grady and Andrea Howard, all of the two-run variety. Additionally, Howard and O’Grady, as well as Briana Martinez all finished with a double and two RBI between the two games.
On the day, six Lobos recorded multiple hits with seven accounting for at least one run-batted-in.
In the circle, UNM used all five pitchers with Emma Guindon and Ashlyn Roberts getting the starts, with Roberts earning her first win as a Lobo in game two.
GAME TWO:
After Roberts needed just four pitches to retire the side to begin the game, the Lobos got to Spartan starting pitcher Jenessa Ullegue early, putting four runs on the board on four hits in the first inning.
O’Grady reached base on a single to left field followed by Howard homering over the deepest part of Lobo Softball Field to clear the bases for her seventh home run of the season. Hathoot walked on four-straight pitches, but was moved over on Izabella Owen’s groundout to the pitcher.
Martinez fouled off her first two pitches before hitting a double to left field to drive in Hathoot. Reyan Tuck kept the two-out rally going with a bloop single to left field that scored Martinez, which brought about a pitching change for SJSU. The new pitcher, Jocylyn Vidal, recorded the third out on a fielder’s choice, but the Lobo bats heated back up in the second.
SJSU had bases loaded in the top of the second on a hit-by-pitch and two singles, but Roberts left them loaded with a strikeout on a full count with two outs to end the inning.
In UNM’s half of the second, Peyton Robinson drew a one-out walk on a full count and stole second to bring up O’Grady. After falling behind 0-2 on a strike and two foul balls, O’Grady worked a full count before hitting a home run over the wall in right field, her eighth home run of the season.
Howard kept the pressure on with a walk, ultimately scoring from first on the next at-bat as Hathoot doubled off the wall in left for the 7-0 advantage.
The Spartans got a run back on a leadoff home run to center, the first of two runs SJSU scored in the third.
However, the Lobos answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third on another two-out rally. Hathoot again delivered with another double to left field, scoring O’Grady and Howard who both reached on four-pitch back-to-back walks, for her second and third RBI of the game for a career high.
UNM worked out of another bases-loaded situation in the fourth on a liner to Tuck at first, who stepped on the bag to double up the runner off the base, and facing its fourth pitcher of the game in Rayohna Sagapolu, UNM added a final run in the fourth. Martinez led off with a single to left field and stole second to start the inning, with Tuck following with a shallow hit to left field that found grass to put runners on the corners. Taryn Young hit a ground ball to third that allowed Martinez to score for the final run of the game and to enforce run-rule territory.
Kiana Spencer entered in relief of Roberts to begin the fifth with the Lobos leading 10-2, easily getting the first out on a ground ball to Martinez at third on the first pitch. SJSU hit back-to-back singles before the second out was recorded on a deep fly ball to the warning track in right field by Young, which allowed the runner on second to tag to third. A walk loaded the bases, but Spencer closed the opportunity with a popup to catcher Lauren Wilmert for the final out.
Of Roberts’ 45 pitches thrown in 4.0 innings, 27 went for strikes, with Spencer also efficient with 12 of her 17 pitches going for strikes.
GAME ONE:
San José State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but the Lobos equalized in the bottom of the first with a two-out home run to left field by Hathoot.
Both teams were retired in order in the second before SJSU regained the lead in the third on three-straight singles. On the third single, although the runner from second scored, the Lobos were able to eliminate a runner with a throw from Howard to Martinez at third to get the runner trying to go from first to third on the play.
The Spartans added two runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth to open up the game, with the Lobos committing two errors in the fifth.
The Lobos cut into the deficit with two runs in the sixth following a leadoff single by Hathoot through the left side of the infield and an Owen single through the right side that allowed Hathoot to round second for third. Martinez singled on the next at-bat with a hit to left field to score Hathoot.
Entering to pinch hit for Wilmert, Diamond Sandoval drove in the second run with a hit to center field to score Martinez.
After San José State scored four in the seventh, the Lobos added one final run on an O’Grady double to right field, Howard and Hathoot walks on four pitches each and an Owen grounder to second that scored O’Grady for the 13-5 final.
Guindon started the game and threw 3.1 innings before being replaced by Brianna Sanchez, who threw 0.2 innings and recorded a strikeout. Talia Hannappel pitched the final 3.0 innings, with all three Lobo pitchers recording a strikeout in their appearance.
The Lobos and Spartans close out the series on Sunday at noon MT with a Senior Day ceremony prior to game.