Chavez Goes 4-4 as Lobos Split Final Day of ACU Tournament

ABILENE, Texas— The Lobos closed out the ACU Tournament with a split on Sunday, defeating Marist 10-7 in the first game before dropping the second game to ACU, 8-0 in five.

Keyannah Chavez went a combined 4-4 on the day with a double, a triple, a walk and one RBI, finishing with a 1.750 slugging percentage, while McKenna Guest pitched a combined 7.0 innings, earning the save in the first game before throwing a complete game against the Wildcats. Taylor Snow earned the win against Marist.

GAME 1:
Three runs scored in the bottom of the fourth proved to be the difference as the Lobos defeated Marist for the second time on the weekend. Chavez went 3-3 with a single, double, triple, as well as recorded a walk and one RBI, and defensively, made a diving catch in the top of the sixth that saved a run.

Of note, UNM went 3-3 with bases loaded and five runs came with two outs. Six Lobos finished with at least one RBI with three tied for the team high of two in Katherine Brunner, Elizabeth Baylor and DeNae Vasquez-Dickson.

Marist scored three runs on three hits in the top of the first, with the Lobos responding in the bottom of the second, batting around to score seven runs with four hits and drew five walks to take the 7-3 lead.

Chavez got the inning started with a triple to center, scoring on the next at-bat on a wild pitch to get the Lobos on the board. Sydney Carithers reached on a walk and took second on a wild pitch, with Vasquez-Dickson moving her to third on a hit to left and taking second on the play. With the lineup turned over, the Red Foxes intentionally walked Rachael Hathoot to load the bases and both Ashley Archuleta and Chloe Yeatts followed up with walks to tie the game at three.

After a Marist pitching change, Brunner put the Lobos in front on a single to left that scored Hathoot and Archuleta, and following a groundout for the second out and Chavez walking in her second plate appearance of the inning, Baylor drove in two more runs on a single to left that scored Yeatts and Brunner.

Marist scored three runs in the top of the third and a home run in the fourth tied the game at seven, with New Mexico limiting the damage on a strikeout by Snow to leave the bases loaded.

The Lobos responded in the home half of the inning behind a two-out rally, starting with a walk by Emma Bramson. Chavez brought her around on a hit to left center, with the Lobo centerfielder taking third on a wild pitch on the next at-bat. Baylor walked and Grace Rana was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Vasquez-Dickson extended the lead with a hit back up the middle to score two runs. The Lobos scored three runs on two hits in the inning, with all three runs coming from runners who reached on free bases.

McKenna Guest entered in the top of the fifth, facing two on and one out, and proceeded to strike out her first batter on three pitches before getting the Lobos out of the inning on a flyout to center with bases loaded.

The Red Foxes had one more opportunity in the top of the sixth with a runner reaching third, however, Guest ended the threat with a strikeout looking to keep the three-run lead. Guest retired the side in order in the top of the seventh to secure the win.

Snow earned the win, entering in the top of the third and pitched 1.2 innings of relief, getting the Lobos out of the third on a grounder to first with a runner on third and worked around a bases-loaded situation in the fourth with a strikeout.

Guest finished with four strikeouts, one hit and no runs allowed in 2.2 innings for the save.

GAME 2:
The Lobos remained on the field to play ACU to close out the weekend, with an error in the bottom of the third breaking the scoreless draw and the Wildcats scoring three unearned runs in the inning.

ACU added a run in the fourth after a runner reached on a hit-by-pitch, advanced to second on a passed ball and a double down the left field line, and closed the game with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth to enforce the run rule.

UNM had just two hits in the game, a single by Rana in the third, with the Lobos leaving a runner on second in the inning, and a leadoff bunt by Chavez in the fifth inning.

Guest pitched her third complete game of the season and second of the week, after going 4.1 innings and allowed eight hits, four earned runs and struck out one.

UP NEXT: The Lobos will return to Texas for the UNT Invite starting on Feb. 23.