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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– The wait is over and the long-anticipated home opener for the Lobo softball team is here as New Mexico hosts the Lobo Classic starting on Thursday.
UNM will host UTEP, Buffalo, North Dakota State and Tarleton in a four-day tournament that will feature 12 games between Thursday and Sunday. Admission for Saturday’s game is free, while tickets will be available to purchase for the other days at the Southwest corner of The Pit. For those who purchased tickets online and have them on their phone, fans can go directly to the gate to enter.
LOBO CLASSIC SCHEDULE
THURSDAY
UTEP vs. New Mexico: 4 p.m.
UTEP vs. Buffalo: 6:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
Buffalo vs. Tarleton: 10 a.m.
Buffalo vs. North Dakota State: 12:30 p.m.
Tarleton vs. UTEP: 3 p.m.
North Dakota State vs. New Mexico: 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
North Dakota State vs. UTEP: 10 a.m.
North Dakota State vs. Tarleton: 12:30 p.m.
Buffalo vs. UTEP: 3 p.m.
Buffalo vs. New Mexico: 5:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
Tarleton vs. North Dakota State: 10 a.m.
Tarleton vs. New Mexico: 12:30 p.m.
BREAK OPEN THE RECORD BOOK
At 6-3 entering the Lobo Classic, the Lobos are off to the best start in program history since 2012, when the Lobos started 9-0. The Lobos twice went 5-4 in that timespan (2020 and 2016).
PITCH PERFECT
In the first two games of the 2022 season, the Lobos had two pitchers throw 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.Against SUU, of Guindon’s 83 pitches, 58 went for strikes, and of Linton’s 137 pitches on Friday, 89 went for strikes. 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.
At the Cardinal Classic, Guindon appeared in three games with a start and threw 12.1 innings, finishing with a 0.57 ERA. The RHP struck out 12, walked just two and allowed one run.
Linton appeared in four games with two starts, and a complete game, and went 3-0 with a save as well. The sophomore threw a team-high 14.2 innings, striking out 13 with six walks, didn’t allow a single extra-base hit and finished with a 0.95 ERA. As a staff, the Lobos finished with a 1.70 ERA at the Cardinal Classic, striking out 28 while walking 11.
Through the first two weekends of the season, the Lobo pitching staff has a 2.15 ERA and has thrown three complete games and recorded a shutout. Guindon has a 0.58 ERA with three starts and five appearances, throwing one complete game. Samantha Fohrman has a 1.75 ERA with two appearances and a start and Linton has a 2.58 ERA with six appearances, four starts, two complete games and a save. Guindon and Linton have thrown the most innings on the team with 24.1 and 21.2, respectively, with Guindon striking out 25 and Linton 23. Guindon has walked just three batters while Linton has walked nine, and Guindon ranks 31st in the NCAA in ERA with her 0.58, and is the third-best ERA in the conference. As a unit, the Lobo pitchers have struck out 53 while walking 17.
HOME RUN HOWARD RETURNS
After leading the Lobos with 12 home runs last season, Andrea Howard picked right back up from where she left off, hitting a home run in the first inning against Southern Utah to give the Lobos an early 1-0 lead. She added two in the Cardinal Classic, including a clutch two-run home run to tie the game at the top of the sixth against Lamar, allowing the Lobos to extend the game to extra innings. The Lobos went on to win 6-4 in 12 innings.
Howard now has 32 home runs in her career, placing her fifth all-time in home runs, two away from fourth and seven away from tying the program record set by Stefanie Carramusa (2010-12).
Besides leading with three home runs, Howard leads the Lobos in batting average (.379), slugging percentage (.759), on-base percentage (.424), RBI (10), hits (11), runs scored (eight) and total bases (22). She is also tied for the team high in doubles with two.
The Lobo outfielder also leads the team with three multiple-RBI games, one game with two and two games with three.
NO INTRO LEVEL HERE
The Lobos added 10 newcomers in the offseason, with several called upon from game one. New Mexico added two transfer pitchers in Amber Linton (Indiana) and Samantha Fohrman (Georgian Court) who already have proven to be game-changers in the circle, and three freshmen infielders that started opening day in Emma Bramson, Ashley Archuleta and Olivia Birkinshaw. UNM also added Janae Cameron behind the plate to provide veteran depth at the catcher position with Sydney Broderick.
In the opening weekend, Archuleta started all four games at second, Bramson started all four games at third and 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, Cameron hit a two-run home run in the win over Southern Utah.
Birkinshaw is second on the team in on-base percentage (.421), third in slugging percentage (.467) and fourth in batting average (.267), while hitting a double and a triple this season.
Bramson and Archuleta have started all nine games this season, with Bramson and Archuleta tallying seven hits to date and Bramson second on the team in RBI (five) and Archuleta fifth in on-base percentage (.323) and tied for second with three walks.
KEEP ON KEEPING ON
Five different Lobos enter the weekend with on-base streaks greater than a game, led by eight games by Reyan Tuck. Peyton Robinson has a five-game streak of reaching base, Briana Martinez and Taryn Young each have a three-game streak and Emma Bramson has a two-game streak of reaching base. Tuck has an eight-game hitting streak, with Martinez and Bramson on a two-game hitting streak.
UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE
The Lobo softball team played in the third-longest game in program history on Saturday afternoon, going 12 innings before defeating host Lamar 6-4. It was the second-straight game against the Cardinals for the Lobos, with UNM winning 2-1 in the first meeting.
It wasn’t until the sixth that the Lobos broke through. Pinch hitting for New Mexico to start the sixth, Olivia Birkinshaw hit a triple to left field, and on the first pitch of the next at-bat, Andrea Howard tied the game with a home run to center for her second home run of the season. Lamar threatened to break the tie at the bottom of the inning with two runners in scoring position, but Emma Guindon (who entered in the fourth inning) recorded the third out on a swinging strikeout.
Another run wasn’t scored until the 11th inning, when after Tuck was placed on second to start the inning and moved to third on a wild pitch, Bramson hit a sacrifice fly to center that allowed Tuck to score. However, Lamar matched the run in the bottom of the 11th on a single up the middle to score its runner that was placed on second. The Lobos finally put the game away in the 12th with a sacrifice bunt by Broderick moving Janae Cameron over to third and a sacrifice fly to center by Young bringing Cameron in. Birkinshaw and Howard kept the inning going with consecutive singles to the outfield, with Birkinshaw scoring on Howard’s hit. Romero brought in the third run of the inning on a double to center that scored Howard. Leading 6-3, Lamar added one final run on a grounder to second that moved the runner on second over and a wild pitch that scored the run. The Cardinals did have the tying run at the plate following a walk but a grounder to Ashley Archuleta at second ended the game.
The Lobos used three pitchers in the game, with Samantha Fohrman going 3.0 innings before Guindon entered in the fourth and pitched 6.1 innings, with Amber Linton entering in the 10th to pitch the remaining 2.2 innings. Linton improved to 3-1 on the year with the decision. UNM struck out 10 batters with Guindon responsible for seven, Linton three and Fohrman one.
SCOUTING UTEP
UTEP enters the Lobo Classic 5-6 and have lost its last four. The Miners took part in the Littlewood Classic last weekend, losing to Minnesota (10-1), Portland State (4-1), California (13-1) and Arizona State (10-0). UTEP defeated Illinois State 4-3 to start the classic.
Lexi Morales leads the Miners with a .462 batting average and 12 hits and also has a .500 slugging percentage and .576 on-base percentage with seven walks. Four different Miners have hit a home run this season in Pate Cathey, Ajia Richard, Karina Somoza and Cheyenne Stark. Cathey and Richard are also two of four players with two doubles and Cathey is tied with Morales with 13 total bases. Savannah Favre leads the team with three stolen bases on three attempts and Autumn Scott is also perfect with two stolen bases on two attempts.As a team, the Miners are 7-for-8 in stolen bases.
UTEP has used five pitchers through its 11 games, with Aalijah Alarcon pitching a team-high 23.2 innings with seven appearances and six starts, throwing two complete games and earning a save. Alarcon has a 1.69 ERA with 17 strikeouts and seven walks, 33 hits and 21 runs allowed (16 earned) and is 2-2. Zaylie Calderon has thrown 16.0 innings with a 6.13 ERA and has appeared in six games with two starts. Annika Litterio has thrown 12.0 innings with a 2.08 ERA and has appeared in five games with three starts. As a staff, UTEP carries a 6.12 ERA, allowing 98 hits, 70 runs (60 earned), striking out 54 and walking 34. UTEP has given up 18 home runs and 17 doubles.
The Miners have already had a common opponent with the Lobos in Creighton, with the Miners winning both games (7-4 and 8-7).
SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE
North Dakota State are 7-2 on the season and have won its last five games. In their most recent games at the GATA Challenge, the Bison beat UT Martin (10-0, five innings), Maine (12-2 and 8-2) and Georgia Southern (5-0). The Bison also beat Utah State 15-9 to start their five-game win streak.
Molly Gates leads the Bison with a .469 batting average, 15 hits, 21 total bases, and a .525 on-base percentage and is tied for the team lead with six doubles. Cameryn Maykut has a team-high 18 RBI and is tied with Emilee Buringa for the team high in home runs with two. Buringa is also hitting over .400 with a .407 batting average.
In the circle, NDSU has used three pitchers with Paige Vargas throwing a team-high 28.2 innings and making six appearances with five starts. Vargas has thrown four complete games, has struck out 30 with eight walks and has a 1.71 ERA. Mac Schulz has a 0.79 ERA with 17.2 innings in four appearances, two starts and one complete game. She has walked five and struck out six, but is allowing just two runs on 18 hits. Savy Williams has thrown 12.1 innings with three appearances and two starts with one complete game. As a staff, the Bison have a 2.74 ERA, allowing 28 runs on 60 hits (23 earned) and have struck out 42 with 19 walks.
Buringa was named the Summit League Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .636 (7-for-11) with a home run and a double. She drove in seven runs and scored five more, while also recording a stolen base. She finished the weekend with a 1.000 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.615.
North Dakota State was picked to finish in a tie for second in The Summit League with one first-place vote.
SCOUTING BUFFALO
Buffalo opened its season last weekend, going 3-2 with wins over Cleveland State (4-1 and 5-4) and Penn State (5-3) and losses to Florida International (7-1 and 4-3).
The Bulls were led at the plate by Madison Fernimen, who hit .429 with a .643 slugging percentage and .579 on-base percentage, and recorded six hits, five walks, three doubles and nine total bases. Alexis Lucyshyn recorded six RBI with a home run and a double and four total hits.
Buffalo used four pitchers with Julia Tarantino throwing 20.0 of the team’s 33.1 innings. The RHP started three games and threw two complete games, allowing nine runs on 20 hits, striking out eight and walking three. Tarantino has a 3.15 ERA. Alexis Lucyshyn started two games but made three appearances, throwing 8.2 innings and allowing nine runs on 13 hits with three walks and a strikeout and has a 6.46 ERA. As a staff, Buffalo has a 3.78 ERA, allowing 19 runs on 36 hits and has struck out 12 while walking seven.
SCOUTING TARLETON
Tarleton enters the Lobo Classic 10-0 with wins over Syracuse (2-1), Prairie View A&M (10-2 (6) and 11-8), Alabama State (7-3) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the Whataburger Softball Invitational last weekend. Georgia Capell leads the Texans with 14 hits, 28 total bases, 13 RBI and an .875 slugging percentage, .438 batting average and is tied for the team high in home runs with four. Tristyn Trull has a team-high four doubles and Brady Rowland leads with nine walks and has 12 hits, three home runs and 23 total bases with a team-best .568 on-base percentage. On the base paths, Tarleton is 8-for-9 in stolen bases with four players attempting at least one stolen base.
In the circle, the Texans have used seven pitchers, led by Tristan Bridges who has thrown 24.0 innings with four appearances, three starts and two complete games. The LHP has 23 strikeouts and has 12 walks, allowing six runs (four earned) on 14 hits, and carries a 1.17 ERA. Reagan Chism has thrown 11.0 innings with three appearances, two starts and a complete game, and has a 0.64 ERA with six strikeouts, three walks, seven hits, two runs (one earned). As a staff, the Texans hold a 2.12 ERA with 64 strikeouts to 39 walks, allowing 27 runs on 55 hits (20 earned).
Brady Rowland was named the WAC Hitter of the Week, tying for the team high with six RBI while hitting .462 with two doubles, two home runs, and four runs scored.
This will be the first meeting for New Mexico and Tarleton.