ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos return to the road for five games in El Paso, starting on Friday evening. UNM faces familiar opponents, having played UTEP, Santa Clara and Buffalo last season and Texas Tech, with the Lobos last playing the Red Raiders in 2021. The Lobos have a win streak going against Santa Clara, UTEP and Buffalo.
SCHEDULE
Buffalo: Friday at 7 p.m.
Santa Clara: Saturday at 10 a.m.
Texas Tech: Saturday at 1 p.m.
UTEP: Sunday at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
All games will be streamed on YouTube with the link above.
FIRST GAME, FIRST WIN
Coach Nicole Dickson became just the second coach to win in their Lobo coaching debut, doing so with the largest margin of victory (+9). Erica Beach was the other head coach to win in her first game (a 10-2, five inning win against Utah Valley on Feb. 12, 2011).
MAKING A STATEMENT FROM THE START
UNM had its first five hitters reach base in the season opener at Nicholls and scored six runs in the first on four hits, two hit-by-pitches and two walks. UNM added three runs in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth to earn the run-rule victory.
UNM’s win was the first season-opening run rule since 2011, a 10-2 win over Utah Valley in five and the fourth in program history (1993, 1992).
The Lobos picked up a signature win on Saturday, defeating No. 19 Oregon State 8-0 in five innings.
It was UNM’s first win over a ranked opponent since No. 23 Nebraska back on March 19, 2016 (a 6-3 win) and the first done in run-rule fashion since Feb. 23, 2012, a 15-3 win over another Power 5 opponent in No. 14/16 Texas A&M in six. Historically, it was UNM’s ninth win over a ranked opponent.
The Lobos needed just two innings to produce their eight runs on eight hits, scoring four in the first and four in the third. Six different Lobos contributed a hit with Chloe Yeatts and Maddie Boldt leading with 2-3 outings at the plate with Boldt driving in three RBI, while Olivia Birkinshaw added three RBI on a pinch-hit double in the fourth. Six of UNM’s runs came with two outs.
NEWCOMERS COMING THROUGH
Newcomers Maddie Boldt, Emmalyn Brinka, Chloe Yeatts and Keyannah Chavez made an impact in their first games as Lobos.
In the circle, freshman Brinka threw a complete game to earn her first collegiate win against No. 19 Oregon State, striking out four and allowing two hits in the shutout. Brinka has appeared in two games to date, and has pitched 7.2 innings with five strikeouts.
Boldt hit three home runs, a double and a triple with a total of eight RBI. The junior had three RBI in each of Saturday’s games, hitting a triple in the first inning against the Beavers to score two runs and a double in the fourth to score a run. Against the Tigers, Boldt hit a two-run home run and added a RBI to account for all three Lobo runs. Boldt recorded at least one hit and one RBI in four of the five games, and hit a home run in three games.
Boldt led the conference with a 1.214 slugging percentage, three home runs, 17 total bases and eight RBI.
Chavez started all five games in left field and went 3-4 in the season opener at Nicholls which included a double. Chavez recorded a hit in three of the games and hit .417.
Yeatts started all five games, finishing with six hits, three RBI and a walk, hitting .400 with a .438 on-base percentage. Yeatts drove in the first two runs of the season on a single through the right side in her first collegiate at-bat.
Chavez and Boldt have reached base in all five games. Yeatts has three multiple hit games (all with two hits).
ANY MEANS NECESSARY
In UNM’s first five games, the Lobos reached base 18 times via either a hit-by-pitch or walk (nine BB, nine HBP).
The Lobos drew three walks and five hit-by-pitches in the win at Nicholls and had one hit-by-pitch in the first game against Oregon State with four walks.
UNM drew at least one walk and one hit-by-pitch in four of the five games.
Ashley Archuleta leads with three walks with Maddie Boldt behind with two walks, and Lauren Garcia and Keyannah Chavez have each reached base on hit-by-pitches twice.
Six different players have reached on a HBP and six have reached on a walk.
The Lobos lead the MW in hit-by-pitches.
UP NEXT
Following the UTEP tournament, the Lobos will host their first home games of the season with a doubleheader against Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 22 with first pitch starting at 3 p.m.