Archuleta Homers as Lobos Lose Lead Late to Aztecs
SAN DIEGO, Calif.—Ashley Archuleta was the catalyst for the Lobo offense on Sunday, getting the Lobos on the board in the first inning with a triple down the right field line to score Rachael Hathoot, and hit her second home run of the season in the third to give UNM the 2-0 lead.
However, the Aztecs scored two in the fifth and took the lead in the sixth with three runs for the 5-2 final.
The Lobos twice had bases loaded in the game, getting to the Aztec starter in the first inning after Hathoot led off with a walk, Peyton Robinson moved her over with a sac bunt, and Archuleta brought her in with a triple. Emma Bramson worked a full count before reaching with a walk and Janae Cameron drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases before a grounder ended the top of the inning.
Lobo starter Taylor Snow worked around leadoff batters reaching in both the first and second innings to keep SDSU off the board before the Lobos doubled their lead with a one-out solo home run to right field by Archuleta.
Snow and the defense retired the side in order in the third and after the Lobos left runners on the corners in the fourth, UNM maintained its 2-0 lead with a double play to get out of the bottom half of the inning.
A leadoff triple and single to center by SDSU to start the bottom of the fifth cut the lead in half and a sac bunt and single tied the game at two. The Aztecs rallied for three runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth with the Lobos attempting to mount a rally of their own in the top of the seventh after the first three hitters reached base.
Maddie Boldt led off with an infield single, Hathoot reached on a fielding error and Robinson reached on a fielder’s choice with the Aztecs unable to get the out at third. A double play left runners on second and third before a strikeout ended the game.
Snow pitched 5.1 innings in the loss before Amber Linton entered in relief to record the final outs in the sixth inning.
Up next: UNM returns home to host Nevada in its final home series of the season starting on Friday at 6 p.m.