UNM Travels to Texas for Cardinal Classic Starting Friday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– The Lobo softball team is headed to Beaumont, Texas set to play five games starting Friday, and looking to build on a successful opening weekend at the Candrea Classic.
New Mexico will face Ohio, host Lamar and Creighton in a three-day stretch with two games on Friday (Ohio at 12:30 p.m. MT and Lamar at 4:30 p.m. MT), two games on Saturday (Lamar at 12:30 p.m. MT and Creighton at 5:30 p.m. MT) and a final game with Ohio on Sunday at 8 a.m. MT.
Of the three teams that UNM will face at the Cardinal Classic, the Lobos will face two of them for the first time. UNM has never played Ohio and host Lamar before, but has a lengthy history with Creighton. UNM is 13-14 all-time against Creighton, but has played the Bluejays as recently as 2019, an 8-0 five-inning win for the Lobos. However, the only two players who were in the lineup that game were Andrea Howard (1-for-2 at the plate with a walk) and Sydney Broderick. UNM is 3-2 against Creighton in the last five games and 6-4 in the last 10 games.
Live stats will be available to follow the games.
Pitching was a strong point for the Lobos in Tucson, with two pitchers throwing double-digit strikeouts and a near no-hitter. Making her first appearance in the circle for New Mexico, Amber Linton threw 10 strikeouts against Pac-12 school Oregon State. Of the 10 strikeouts, half came in the final nine outs, with three in the seventh as the Lobos held a one-run lead.
Holding on to a 3-2 lead in the seventh, two Beaver batters reached base, but Linton closed with three strikeouts to close the door for the Lobo win.
Emma Guindon recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts and allowed just one hit with no walks in the 8-0, six-inning win over Southern Utah on Feb. 12. With a 3-0 lead, Guindon was efficient in the circle, retiring the side on three strikeouts (two looking) in the fourth and recorded three more strikeouts in the fifth. Guindon struck out her seventh batter in-a-row to start the sixth for her final strikeout of the game. Of note, the last time a Lobo pitcher recorded double-digit strikeouts was in 2019, with the two double-digit strikeouts only the fourth time in the last nine years that a Lobo has struck out 10 or more batters. However, in that timespan, the Lobos have never had two pitchers record 10 or more strikeouts in a game in the same year.
Against SUU, of Guindon’s 83 pitches, 58 went for strikes, and of Linton’s 137 pitches on Friday, 89 went for strikes. Through the first four games, the Lobos have struck out 25 hitters while allowing just six walks and have a 2.80 team ERA. Guindon has a 0.58 ERA with 13 strikeouts to one walk and has allowed just one run in 12.0 innings.
Newcomers also stepped up, with three freshmen making an appearance in the starting lineup and had strong starts to their collegiate careers. Ashley Archuleta started all four games at second, Emma Bramson started all four games at third and Olivia Birkinshaw started two games, once as the designated player and once at first. Birkinshaw recorded her first collegiate hit against then-No. 9 Arizona, a double, and Archuleta recorded three hits on the weekend with her first against Oregon State. Archuleta also recorded a team-high three RBI in the win against Southern Utah, and Bramson’s first hit came against No. 2 Alabama, which also produced her first RBI. In her first appearance with the Lobos, senior catcher Janae Cameron hit a two-run home run in the win over Southern Utah. Birkinshaw enters the Cardinal Classic on a two-game streak of reaching base.
SCOUTING OHIO
The Cardinal Classic will be the opening weekend for the Bobcats, who went 21-26 last season and 17-21 in the MAC.
Last season, Ohio was led in batting average by Allie Englant with a .364, with Englant also leading in hits (60) and stolen bases (30). Katie Yun led in slugging percentage (.655) and in walks (22). Yun tied with Mikenzie Vaughn in home runs with 11, with Yun first in total bases (95) ad Vaughn second (87). Of those three, Englant is the only returner this year.
In the circle, Mackenzie Kohl was the go-to pitcher last season with 26 appearances, 23 starts, 17 complete games and 146.0 innings pitched and is the lone returner this season. The Bobcats have three pitchers on the roster in RHP Kohl, RHP Skipp Miller and RHP Kylie Coffelt. Coffely and Kohl are both seniors with Miller a freshman.
Ohio was picked to tie for fifth in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll with 70 points.
SCOUTING LAMAR
Lamar opened its season at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge, winning its season opener against Memphis (3-1) and losing to then- No. 7 Washington (12-2), Rutgers (2-1 and 6-2) and Long Beach State (5-2).
Six different players recorded two hits through the five games with Audry Fleming hitting two home runs and accounting for five of the team’s six RBI. As a team, the Cardinals had 13 hits with two doubles and two home runs, walking 14 times and striking out 20 times. In the circle, Lamar used six pitchers, led by Aaliyah Ruiz who pitched 16.1 innings and started three games with one complete game. Ruiz allowed 15 hits and six runs while striking out six and walking two batters. Haila Linton and Shelby Mixon each started one game but appeared in three, with Linton throwing 6.2 innings and allowing four runs on nine hits and Mixon throwing 4.0 innings and allowing three runs on four hits. As a pitching staff, Lamar has a 5.60 ERA with 40 hits allowed, 26 runs scored against them, 10 strikeouts and six walks.
SCOUTING CREIGHTON
Creighton opened its season at the UTEP Tournament, going 3-2 with wins over Idaho State (6-2) and Abilene Christian (3-1 (8 innings) and 9-1 (5 innings)), and loses to UTEP (7-4 and 8-7).
Brittney Manthie led the Bluejays with a .643 batting average and .722 on-base percentage with nine hits and four walks. Cayla Nielsen and Kailey Wilson each hit two home runs with Creighton hitting eight home runs in the five games. Sam Alm tallied 10 RBI and Nielsen led with 14 total bases on five hits that included a double, a triple and two home runs.
In the circle, Creighton used three pitchers. Alexis Wiggins and Mikayla Santa Cruz starting two games and appearing in three, with Wiggins throwing one complete game and Santa Cruz two complete games. Wiggins carried a 0.69 ERA with 12 hits, five runs (one earned), 17 strikeouts and six walks in 13.0 innings. Santa Cruz had a 1.15 ERA with 12 hits, five runs (two earned), 17 strikeouts and nine walks in 15. 2 innings. Jena Lawrence threw 3.1 innings and allowed nine runs (six earned) on seven hits and walking five. As a staff, the Bluejays have a 2.53 team ERA.
Creighton was picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST preseason poll.