Lobos Head to Utah for Final Tournament
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– The Lobo softball team returns to the road looking to get back on track after their 10-game win streak came to an end on Tuesday, and will have ample opportunity with five games at the Dixie State Tournament starting Friday.
UNM will face Southern Utah and Dixie State Friday, Wisconsin and Maine on Saturday and a final game with Wisconsin on Sunday.
One thing to watch for is Andrea Howard, who needs just two home runs to set the program record in career home runs. Howard has nine home runs this season, bringing her career total to 38 home runs. Her 38 home runs are second all-time in program history and is one away from tying the program record and two from breaking the record set by Stefanie Carramusa (2010-12).
The senior outfielder has hit a home run in eight games this season, including a game with two home runs and has hit a home run in the last two games. Besides leading in home runs, Howard leads the Lobos in batting average (.381), slugging percentage (.873), on-base percentage (.461), RBI (18), hits (24), runs scored (18) and total bases (55). She is also tied for the team high in doubles with four and second in walks (11). The Lobo also leads the team with nine multiple-RBI games, with five games of two RBI and four games with three RBI. Howard ranks 23rd in the NCAA in home runs and RBI, 21st in RBI per game and 31st in home runs per game.
While the Lobos had a temporary setback, the bats have consistently been hot across the lineup. Eight different Lobos enter the Dixie State Tournament with on-base streaks larger than one game, led by eight games for Peyton Robinson and Ashley Archuleta. Taryn Young has a seven-game streak, Briana Martinez has six, Leslie Romero has five, Janae Cameron has three and Reyan Tuck and Howard each have a two-game on-base streak. Robinson has an eight-game hitting streak, followed by five for Young, Romero and Archuleta and a two-game streak for Howard.
The Lobos have had freshmen step up in significant roles, with Archuleta starting in all 20 games with Emma Bramson starting 18. Bramson is second on the team in slugging percentage (.638), RBI (16), home runs (five) and total bases (37), while third in batting average (.328), on-base percentage (.385) and doubles (three) and is tied with Archuleta for second in hits (19). Archuleta is second in on-base percentage (.408), third in walks (10) and total bases (25), fifth in batting average (.297) and is tied for the team lead in doubles with four.
Another factor for UNM’s success this season has been scoring early and often, scoring 16 runs in the first inning, outscoring opponents 16-5, and 17 runs in the second inning, outscoring opponents 17-7 in the frame. UNM is 8-1 when scoring in the first inning and 11-3 when scoring first in a game.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN UTAH
This will be the second meeting of the season between the Lobos and the Thunderbirds, with the Lobos winning the first game at the Candrea Classic 8-0 in five innings. Since then, SUU has gone 1-10 and is 1-14 on the season. Their win came against Army (5-1).
The Thunderbirds also played MW team SDSU, losing 11-0 (five innings), and had another common opponent in Oregon State, losing 19-0 (five innings).
Southern Utah is led at the plate by Dream Weaver, who has a .200 batting average, and Jayne Sepulveda, who has eight hits, 13 total bases and a .302 slugging percentage. Reilly Williams and Sepulveda have the two home runs on the team and Williams is tied with Makall Whetten with a team-high three RBI.
In the circle, SUU has used three pitchers, led by Keimon Winston who has appeared in 14 games with 12 starts and has thrown one complete game. The freshman has a 9.96 ERA and has struck out 19, walked 18, and allowed 85 hits and 59 runs (52 earned). Grace Owen has pitched in 26.0 innings with 13 appearances, three starts and a start. The junior has an 11.42 ERA with 32 walks and 18 strikeouts, 46 runs (33 earned) and 45 hits.
SUU is 1-11 in neutral games.
SCOUTING DIXIE STATE
Dixie State enters the weekend 6-12 overall, winning its last game against UC Davis on Sunday (6-5), but has gone 1-4 in the last five games.
The Trailblazers have played three MW opponents so far in Colorado State (L, 12-0 in five), Utah State (won 9-5 and 5-4, lost 8-2) and Nevada (won 8-0 in five).
DSU is hitting .287 on the season, led at the plate by Lauren Almeida at .409 with 18 hits (tied for the team high) and four doubles (tied for the team high), while also leading with 14 RBI. Marisa Rubio also has 18 hits, hitting .327, while Shea Clements leads the team with four home runs, a .577 slugging percentage and 30 total bases and has 17 hits. Clements and Kasey Crawford are 5-for-5 and 3-for-3, respectively, in stolen bases, with the team 16-for-19.
The Trailblazers have used five pitchers, led by RHP Kate Dolinski, who has made six starts and appeared in seven games with two complete games and 27.1 innings.Dolinski has allowed 34 hits, 22 runs (16 earned) and 12 walks, striking out 19 and has a 4.10 ERA. Attlyn Johnston has thrown a team-high 31.0 innings with eight appearances and two starts, and has allowed 46 hits, 27 runs (22 earned) and 13 walks while striking out a team-high 34. Tyler Denhart has a team-best 4.06 ERA and has a save and two completes games in her five appearances and three starts. Denhart has walked six and struck out 20, pitching in 20.2 innings. As a staff, Dixie State has a 6.18 ERA and has allowed 153 hits, 109 runs (90 earned) with 94 strikeouts and 45 walks.
Dixie State is 5-3 at home.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
Wisconsin is 8-6 on the season and has won its last two games. The Badgers have played seven ranked teams this season, winning against then-No. 15/12 Clemson 2-1 in eight innings and then-No. 24 UCF 9-1 in five innings. They lost to then-No. 3 UCLA (5-1), then-No. 11 Missouri (8-1), then-No. 19 Kentucky (5-2) and then-No. 13 Virginia Tech (5-4).The Badgers also have a win against RV Notre Dame (2-1).
The Badgers played Colorado State in their last tournament, beating the Rams 7-3.
Ally Miklesh leads Wiscosnin at the plate with a .367 batting average and .500 on-base percentage and is one of three players with a home run. Kayla Konwent has a team-high 13 hits and has a home run as well. Jolie Fish has a team-high 10 RBI, Skylar Sirdashney leads with two triples and Ellie Hubbard leads with four doubles.
In the circle, UW has used five pitchers, led by Ava Justman who has started 10 games and thrown a complete game. Justman has pitched in 33.0 innings, allowing 39 hits, 27 runs (21 earned), 24 strikeouts and eight walks, and carries a 4.45 ERA. Tessa Magnanimo has a 1.21 ERA with 17.1 innings in the circle and seven appearances, striking out 10 and walking one, allowing just 11 hits and three runs (all earned).As a team, Wisconsin has a 3.09 ERA, striking out 65 and walking 16.
SCOUTING MAINE
Maine has played just nine games this season, going 1-8 with a win over Georgia Southern (14-4). The Black Bears have also faced North Dakota State twice, losing 8-2 and 12-2. Their other opponents include Tennessee-Martin, George Washington, Liberty and Charleston Southern.
The Black Bears will also share common opponents with the Lobos in Utah State and BYU.
Keely Clark leads the team with a .444 batting average and a .444 on-base percentage. Kelby Drews and Kya Enos each have nine hits, with Enos leading with three doubles, three triples, nine RBI and 21 total bases and each having one home run. Gabby Papushka leads with two home runs and has five RBI.
Maine has used three pitchers, led by 19.1 innings by Gabbie Siciliano with seven appearances, three starts and a complete game. She has a 3.26 ERA with 20 hits, 12 runs (nine earned), two strikeouts and six walks. Emily Reid has also made three starts with seven appearances, and has pitched 16.2 innings with 31 hits, 24 runs (20 earned). As a team, the Black Bears have a 7.00 ERA, allowing 94 hits, 75 runs (54 earned), 24 strikeouts and 28 walks.