Lobos Split Friday at ACU Tournament
ABILENE, Texas– The Lobos opened up the ACU Tournament with an emphatic 13-3 win over Marist on Friday afternoon, scoring 12 unanswered runs, while holding the Red Foxes scoreless in six innings. UNM finished with a season-high 15 hits and 13 runs, had the leadoff hitter reach in all seven innings and stole seven bases, the most in a single game for the Lobos since 2010.
New Mexico had four players record multiple hits with eight different players record at least one, and was led by three players with three hits. Ashley Archuleta went 3-3, while also reaching base on two walks, Katherine Brunner went 3-5 with a game-high three RBI and included a double, and Elizabeth Baylor went 3-4.
Seven different players contributed at least one RBI, led by Brunner’s three and followed by two apiece for Sydney Carithers and DeNae Vasquez-Dickson. In addition, four RBI came with two outs, three of which came on the bat of Brunner.
In the circle, freshman McKenna Guest went 6.0 innings and finished with seven strikeouts. Amber Linton entered to start the third and went one inning and struck out two. The combined nine strikeouts tied the season high.
As the designated visitors, the Lobos got on the board in their first at-bats of the game, which started with a leadoff single by Rachael Hathoot. A sacrifice bunt moved the Lobo shortstop to second, with Brunner driving her in on a hit back up the middle.
UNM had an opportunity to add on in the second as Baylor reached on a leadoff single to center to start the inning and two sacrifice bunts moved her to third, where she was left standing.
The Red Foxes strung together a two-out rally in the home half with a blooper to shallow center scoring a runner from second to tie the game, and following two stolen bases and a walk, took a 3-1 lead on a hit that fell in right. Three of Marist’s five hits in the game came in the second inning.
UNM got a run back in the top of the third with Vasquez-Dickson reaching on a throwing error by the shortstop and took second on a wild pitch. Archuleta reached on a bunt to put runners on the corners, setting up a double steal for a run.
A hit-by-pitch, single through the right side of the infield and an infield single put the first three batters on in the top of the fourth, with Grace Rana tying the game on the next at-bat on a sacrifice bunt. A walk by Hathoot on four pitches reloaded the bases, and Vasquez-Dickson delivered the go-ahead hit on a ball that got through the right side to score Keyannah Chavez and Baylor. An Archuleta walk gave the Lobos another bases-loaded situation, and a sacrifice fly by Emma Bramson allowed Hathoot to tag to make it 6-3. The Lobos scored four runs on three hits to take the lead.
Guest reentered in the circle and retired the side in order, keeping the momentum in UNM’s favor, which the Lobo bats quickly picked right back up, scoring four more runs on five hits. Chloe Yeatts got the inning started with a double down the left field line and Baylor reached on a hit back to the circle that the pitcher couldn’t handle to put runners on the corners. Baylor stole second to put two runners in scoring position with no outs and a double to left by Chavez scored Yeatts for the first run. Carithers made it consecutive doubles to left field, scoring Baylor and Chavez, and the Lobo catcher manufactured the final Lobo run of the inning, stealing third and scoring on a throwing error by the catcher.
Marist had its leadoff batter reach on a single up the middle, but a fielder’s choice, strikeout and popup to Hathoot ended the frame.
Guest added two more strikeouts in the bottom of the sixth and the Lobos plated three more runs in the top of the seventh on two hits and all with two outs. Carithers led off with a walk, later taking second on a passed ball. With two outs in the inning, Archuleta singled to center, taking second on the throw home in an attempt to get Carithers coming home. However, an errant throw allowed Archuleta to advance to third. Bramson reached on a hit-by-pitch and stole second to put two runners in scoring position, with Brunner scoring them both on a double to center.
Marist had one final runner reach on a two-out walk before Guest struck out her seventh Red Fox of the game for the final out. Guest didn’t allow a hit in the final two innings and after she reentered the game in the fourth, allowed just one hit. In her six innings, Guest didn’t allow a hit in four of the innings.
GAME 2: ACU 7, UNM 3
The Lobos scored three runs in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead over the Wildcats, however, the hosts answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game and scored four unanswered between the fourth and fifth for the 7-3 final.
Chavez led the Lobos at the plate with two hits that included a triple, with Archuleta, Vasquez-Dickson and Brunner accounting for the three RBI.
After ACU scored a run in the bottom of the second, the Lobos responded with three runs in their next at-bat. Carithers reached on a muffed throw by the first baseman and stole second to position the Lobos to tie the game. Hathoot moved her to third on a sacrifice bunt and Vasquez-Dickson tied the game, while reaching on a fielder’s choice. Aggressive base running led to a second stolen base in the inning and Archuleta’s double to left scored the Lobo freshman to put UNM in front 2-1. UNM scored one final run in the inning on a single to center by Brunner with Bramson scoring from first before Brunner was thrown out at second trying to advance on the throw home.
The Wildcats tied the game on a single to left with bases loaded in the bottom of the inning and the lead changed sides on a two-out single to left. A three-run home run in the fourth and a run in the bottom of the fifth added to the Lobo deficit.
A Chavez triple in the sixth and Hathoot single in the seventh, with Hathoot advancing to second on a passed ball were the only runners to reach in the final two innings, with neither being able to score.
UNM used three pitchers in the game with Emily Brouse getting her first start as a Lobo, going 2.0 innings, striking out four and allowing one hit, before being replaced by Kenzie Jones to start the bottom of the third. Taylor Snow pitched the final 3.2 innings and was the pitcher on record.
The Lobos have one game on the schedule on Saturday, a 1:30 p.m. MT start against Houston Christian.