Lobos Drop Saturday Contest to Huskies
ABILENE, Texas— The Lobos dropped their lone game on Saturday to Houston Christian 3-1, falling behind 3-0 before scoring a run on two hits in the top of the sixth. New Mexico had the tying run in scoring position in its final at-bat after Rachael Hathoot hit a one-out single and Keyannah Chavez hit a blooper to center, with both runners advancing a base on a wild pitch before a flyout to center ended the game.
UNM left nine runners on base, which included four innings of leaving two runners on base and a combined five runners left on base in the final three innings. UNM also had seven runners reach via a walk, led by two for Ashley Archuleta.
Hathoot accounted for two of UNM’s five hits in the game, with Chavez, Emma Bramson and Chloe Yeatts each reaching on a hit. Yeatts was responsible for the RBI, driving in Bramson on a hit to left.
As the designated visitors, the Lobos had two runners reach in their first appearance at the plate, following an Archuleta walk with the Lobo stealing second and a Bramson walk, but a strikeout left them both stranded. HCU took a 2-0 lead in the home half on a leadoff single, walk and wild pitch that moved both runners into scoring position, with a hit up the middle scoring both.
The Huskies again threatened to add to the deficit in the bottom of the second with a runner reaching third, but a popup to Archuleta and groundout to first kept it a two-run game. UNM’s first hit of the game came in the third inning on a Hathoot hit up the middle and Chavez moved her over with a bunt before Archuleta drew her second walk of the game to put two on. However, a popup to the shortstop ended the opportunity.
Two more walks in the top of the fifth didn’t materialize into anything as a strikeout ended the frame, but the Lobos finally broke through in the top of the sixth. A Bramson leadoff double to the left corner started the inning, with Yeatts scoring her on a hit to left, although the Lobo first baseman was thrown out trying to take second on the play. A strikeout, walk for Baylor and a flyout to left prevented the Lobos from cutting into the deficit further.
The top of the order attempted to start the seventh-inning rally with Hathoot hitting a one-out single to left followed by a hit by Chavez to put the tying run on. After a strikeout to record the second out, both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch to give the Lobos a chance to tie, but a flyout to centerfield ended the game.
In the circle, McKenna Guest went the distance for her second complete game of the season, and allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Her batterymate Sydney Carithers aided Guest in throwing out two runners, saving at least one potential run.
The Lobos close out the ACU Tournament with two games on Sunday, facing Marist at 8:30 a.m. MT followed immediately by a final game against ACU at 11:30 a.m. MT.