Lobos Send Off Seniors with Win Against SDSU
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— For a class that has meant so much to the UNM softball program, it was only fitting that the seniors were sent out with a win on Senior Day Saturday in a 4-3 win over MW champion San Diego State.
Emma Guindon, Sydney Broderick, Taryn Young and Andrea Howard were all honored before the final game of the season, and it only took the first play of the game to realize that the seniors were going to leave everything they had on the field.
On the first play of the game, Howard made a diving grab racing in to shallow center for the out, and the Lobos held the Aztecs off the board for the first two innings after only allowing a runner to reach in each inning.
SDSU was the first to get on the board in the top of the third following a leadoff double to right center and a stolen base and an errant throw to third that allowed the runner to score.
However, the Lobos answered with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the third with the first five hitters reaching base.
Broderick reached on a throwing error by the Aztec shortstop, allowing the super senior to take second followed by Emma Bramson being hit by a pitch to turn over the lineup. Peyton Robinson kept the momentum with a hit to center field to load the bases and Ashley Archuleta singled to left field on her at-bat to score Broderick for the first run. Howard drove the second pitch of her at-bat to shallow center, getting the ball to drop to score Bramson for the 2-1 Lobo lead. Robinson scored on the next at-bat with a wild pitch.
Neither team added to their score until the fifth inning, when the Lobos added a run courtesy of the top of the lineup. Robinson led off with a walk and stole second to get into scoring position. Archuleta hit a fly ball to right to allow Robinson to tag and while the Aztec center fielder made a diving catch to rob Howard of a hit, Robinson was easily able to tag from third for a crucial insurance run.
SDSU got a run back in the top of the sixth on a walk, followed by a single up the middle and a fielder’s choice in which Archuleta tagged the runner going to second, but threw the ball away trying to get the double play, allowing the runner to score from third.
Leading 4-2 heading into the seventh, the Aztecs had their first two hitters reach base on a single to second, a wild pitch that advanced the runner and a bunt single that put runners on the corners. Another stolen base put two runners in scoring position with no one out, but Amber Linton struck out Mac Barbara for the first out. A walk loaded the bases, but SDSU plated a run on the next at-bat, a groundout to second, which also provided the second out. With two runners still in scoring position, Reyan Tuck fielded a 1-2 pitch at first, stepping on the bag to end the game.
Linton threw her seventh complete game of the season, striking out seven batters in the game.
At the plate, Howard accounted for a game-high two RBI, with Robinson, Archuleta, Howard and Briana Martinez all tallying a hit.
The Lobos close the season 26-27, 6-18 in the MW.