ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– Coming off a series win against Fresno State, the Lobos return to the road, heading to Reno for a three-game series with Nevada starting Friday. Friday’s game is set for 4 p.m. MT, while Saturday and Sunday’s game are both set for 1 p.m. MT.
All three games will be on the Mountain West Network with live stats available.
The Bulldogs’ strategy of intentionally walking Andrea Howard didn’t pay off, but did highlight that other bats in the lineup could make an impact.
The Bulldogs intentionally walked Howard nine times in the series, with the Lobos making them pay with a home run, a bases-clearing double and after putting the go-ahead run on second, a single to right field to score the go-ahead run. In Thursday’s game, Taryn Young delivered with a two-run home run after Fresno State intentionally walked Howard in the third inning, giving the Lobos the 2-1 lead. In Friday’s game, tied 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth, Fresno State walked Howard to put runners on first and second, with Briana Martinez batting behind her in the three-spot. Martinez singled through the right side to score Peyton Robinson from second to give UNM the 6-5 lead, which would hold as the final score. In Saturday’s game, in the fifth inning, Howard was intentionally walked to put runners on first and second, and Martinez hit a bases-clearing double down the left-field line to put UNM up 3-0. Martinez was 4-for-6 advancing runners when batting in the third spot in the lineup and 2-for-2 with runners in scoring position.
As a result, the Lobos won two games in the series, winning a series against the Bulldogs for the first time since 1993 and for just the second time in program history.
Further, Howard now is tied for the MW lead in walks, while still leading the conference in total bases, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, and is second in RBI and tied for second in hits. In conference games, she is second in on-base percentage (.591) and walks (14), third in batting average (.400), fourth in slugging percentage (.833), and ninth in total bases (25). Howard also set the program record for career total bases with 363 after her home run against Fresno State on April 17 and after her nine intentional walks against Fresno State is now second in career walks with 111.
Hitting in the leadoff spot in the lineup, Ashley Archuleta hit her first (and second) collegiate run in Friday’s game, the first a three-run home run for the first runs of the game and followed it up with a solo home run on her next at-bat for a season-high four RBI.
In the Fresno State series, UNM hit six home runs in the series, with a Lobo hitting two home runs in a game twice (Martinez Thursday and Archuleta Friday). UNM hit a season-high four home runs in Thursday’s game.
The Lobos have 37 home runs to date this season, surpassing the total from last year’s season (30), the 2019 season (34), 2018 season (33), 2017 season (28) and is one shy from the home run total in 2016. As a team, the Lobos have hit a home run in 22 games, hit multiple home runs in 12 games and a Lobo has hit two home runs in a game five times this season. The 37 home runs ranks third among all MW teams, with 12 occurring in MW games, the fourth most.
Going into the Fresno State series, it was noted that one key to success was if the Lobos could put pressure on the opposing pitchers early and get on the board first. In both of UNM’s wins, the Lobos got on the board first, with both runs occurring in the second inning. The same will be true this week as UNM is 18-5 when scoring first in a game.
Nevada enters the series 13-30 and 3-12 in the conference, and is coming off of a series at Utah State, winning the first game 10-9 before dropping games two (6-5) and three (8-7). Utah State scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to win game two and the first game went to extra innings with Nevada scoring a run in the eighth to win 10-9. Their three conference wins have come against UNLV (8-4), San José State (14-13) and Utah State. Nevada is 4-6 at home this season. The Wolf Pack shares one common opponent with the Lobos in Dixie State, with Nevada losing 8-0 in five innings.
Nevada is led at the plate by Chelie Senini, who has 48 hits, two triples and a .329 batting average, while Aaliyah Jenkins has nine home runs, a .590 slugging percentage and 69 total bases. Jessica Sellers leads with 29 RBI and nine doubles and Lauren Gutierrez leads with a .500 on-base percentage. On the base paths, Nevada is 66-83 on the season with Senini 37-39, Jenkins 13-18, Gutierrez 4-4 and Sellers 3-4. In conference games, Nevada is 23-32 in stolen bases with Senini 13-15, Jenkins 5-7 and Sellers 2-3.
In the circle, Nevada has gone with five different pitchers, led by Ellie Garcia with 25 appearances, 18 starts and eight complete games. Pitching a team-high 101.2 innings, Garcia (a RHP), has allowed 92 hits, 83 runs (64 earned), striking out 86 and walking 60 and carries a 5.67 ERA. Blake Craft has thrown the second-most number of innings at 99.0 and has a 6.09 ERA with 23 appearances, 16 starts and six complete games. A RHP, Craft has allowed 84 runs (67 earned), 123 hits, 88 strikeouts and 35 walks. Tyra Clary has appeared in 22 games with eight starts and 54.0 innings in the circle. Also a RHP, Clary has allowed 75 hits, 65 runs (51 earned) with 37 strikeouts and 29 walks. As a staff, Nevada has a 6.40 team ERA with 14 complete games, 330 hits allowed, 260 runs (201 earned), walking 143 and striking out 229. In conference games, Nevada has a 9.17 ERA with 130 runs allowed (109 earned), 75 walks and 86 strikeouts. Garcia has made the most starts with nine and Craft has made six starts, both appearing in 10 games. Craft has thrown the most innings at 40.1 with Garcia at 35.0. Clary has thrown in eight games with two starts, going 16.0 innings.
Nevada is fourth in the MW in slugging percentage (.418) and on-base percentage (.355) in MW games, third in batting average (.276) and hits (113), second in total bases (171) and tied for second in runs-batted-in (63). Jenkins is eighth in the MW in batting average (.368), fifth in slugging percentage (.763), ninth in on-base percentage (.478), tied for fourth in total bases (29) and tied for second in doubles (four) in conference games. Senini is tied for sixth in hits (16) and tied for fifth in RBI (13).
Following the Nevada series, the Lobos return home to host UNLV April 29-May 1, one of their two remaining home series.