Yeatts Hits Two Home Runs as Lobos Split on Opening Day
LAKE CHARLES, La.— New Mexico went 1-1 on the opening day of the 2024 season, with the Lobos scoring two in the bottom of the seventh for a 7-6 win over Tennessee State before losing to host McNeese 12-4 in six.
Keyannah Chavez led UNM at the plate with five hits and a .714 batting average, while Chloe Yeatts led with a pair of two-run home runs, five RBI and nine total bases. In the circle, McKenna Guest earned her first collegiate win, pitching four scoreless innings in relief and finishing with four strikeouts without allowing a walk.
GAME 1: UNM 7, TENNESSEE STATE 6
After getting out to an early 3-0 lead and Tennessee State scoring six runs between the third and fourth innings, the Lobos scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk-off against the Tigers, all coming with two outs.
Trailing 6-3 heading into the home half of the fourth, the Lobos chipped away to score four unanswered runs, getting a run back in both the fourth and fifth innings to set the stage for the bottom of the seventh.
With 2-3-4 due up, Chavez reached on a single to the pitcher with Ashley Archuleta following up with another infield single. A double steal put both runners in scoring position and Yeatts drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Consecutive strikeouts left the Lobos down to their final out, with Lauren Garcia entering to pinch hit. Garcia worked back from a 1-2 count to a full count, and drew the walk to bring in the tying run. Down 0-2 in the count on the next at-bat, Sydney Carithers put the ball in play, with an error by the second baseman allowing Archuleta to score the winning run.
Getting the nod to start in the circle, Amber Linton started off strong, retiring the side in order after striking out the first two Tigers and a grounder to Archuleta.
The Lobos were aggressive on the base paths from the onset, as Chavez recorded the first hit of the season on an infield single and promptly stole second. After Archuleta reached on an infield single that moved Chavez to third, the Lobos executed a double steal as Archuleta stole second and Chavez broke for home for the 1-0 Lobo lead. Yeatts made it 3-0 on a home run to left with the Lobos ultimately scoring three runs on five hits with three stolen bases in the inning.
Tennessee State threatened in the second on a leadoff double and later loading the bases before Linton recorded the third out on her third strikeout of the game.
The Tigers got on the board with two runs in the top of the third, on a two out, bases loaded single to right field that scored two runs and put runners on the corners. Linton’s fifth strikeout ended the threat with the Lobos still in front 3-2. TSU tied the game at three in the fourth after the first three batters reached base and an infield single scored the runner from third. Guest entered in relief and struck out the first Tiger she faced, however, a wild pitch allowed the runner on third to score the go-ahead run. TSU added two more runs on a double to center to lead 6-3.
The Lobos got a run back in the bottom half as Katherine Brunner led off with a four-pitch walk and after Elizabeth Baylor reached on an error with Brunner moving all the way around to third, Brunner scored on a sacrifice fly by Carithers.
After a scoreless top of the fifth, Rachael Hathoot started off the Lobos with a single to left field. Chavez followed with a single to right and after Archuleta reached on a fielder’s choice with Hathoot out at third, Yeatts singled to left to score Chavez to make it a one-run game.
Guest limited the Tigers to one hit in both the sixth and seventh innings to keep the Lobos within reach, setting up the Lobos for the comeback.
UNM outhit TSU 12-9 with eight different Lobos recording a hit and three with multiple hits. Chavez led with a game-high three hits and Archuleta and Yeatts registered two apiece. Yeatts led with a game-high three RBI, the ninth multi-RBI game of her career.
Of note, Chavez finished with three stolen bases, the most for a Lobo in a single game since 2017, when D’Andra DeFlora had three against Santa Clara on March 11, 2017. As a team, the Lobos had six stolen bases, the most in a game since 2018, when UNM had six against Howard on March 10, 2018.
In addition, head coach Nicole Dickson joins Erica Beach as the only Lobo coach to win the season opener in their first two years, with both coaches opening up their second year with 7-6 wins.
GAME 2: MCNEESE 12, UNM 4 (6)
Much like the first game, the Lobos got on the board first in the first inning, with Yeatts again responsible for the runs. Archuleta reached on one-out single to third and Yeatts hit her second home run of the day, this time to center, to give UNM the 2-0 lead. However, the Cowgirls answered in the bottom half of the inning on a walk, single and double that cleared the bases to tie the game. McNeese scored three more runs in the inning, scoring a total of five runs on five hits and was aided by an error.
The Lobos got a run back in the top of the second, taking advantage of two McNeese errors to put runners on, with Archuleta scoring Macie Andrews from second. Again, the Cowgirls matched it with a run of their own, with a two-out walk leading to a stolen base and a double to right center to score a run.
UNM had an opportunity to cut into the deficit in the third, as Chavez led off with a single through the right side and advanced to second on a passed ball. Carithers drew a four-pitch walk to keep the inning going and a wild pitch put both in scoring position. A walk for Emma Bramson loaded the bases, but the Lobos left them loaded.
McNeese added three runs in the bottom of the fifth with the Lobos getting one more run across in the top of the sixth on a Bramson triple down the right field line and a sacrifice fly from Hathoot. The Cowgirls scored three in the bottom of the sixth to enforce the run rule.
Archuleta, Chavez and Bramson each tallied two hits, with the Lobos finishing with nine on the night. Yeatts led in RBI with two with the top of the lineup of Hathoot, Archuleta and Yeatts accounting for all four RBI.
UP NEXT: The Lobos travel to Lafayette, Louisiana for the Louisiana Classics starting Saturday at 10 a.m. MT against Chattanooga. UNM has two games on the schedule for Saturday, closing the day with Cal at 3 p.m. MT.