UNM Opens Rainbow Wahine Classic with Pair of 3-1 Losses

HONOLULU, Hawai’i— The Lobos dropped a pair of 3-1 contests in their first games of the Rainbow Wahine Classic, falling to Cleveland State in the first game and then losing the lead late on a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth against host Hawai’i.

GAME 1: CLEVELAND STATE 3, NEW MEXICO 1
UNM’s first game of the tournament came down to missed chances for the Lobos as six of the nine runners left on were left in scoring position and UNM went 0-7 with runners in scoring position.

The Lobos had a runner on third in both the second and third innings, including loading the bases in the third after a Sydney Carithers double and walks by Rachael Hathoot and Chloe Yeatts, but were left loaded on a popup to second.

Cleveland State took advantage and struck first in the bottom of the third on a hit-by-pitch, double to right center and a single to center to score two runs on two hits.

UNM and the top of the lineup attempted a two-out rally in the fifth to cut into the deficit as Keyannah Chavez was hit by a pitch with two outs to keep the inning going and Hathoot doubled to right field to put two more runners in scoring position, but a foul out to right field left them stranded.

After the Vikings added a run in the bottom of the inning, the Lobos got a run on the board after DeNae Vasquez-Dickson reached on an infield single, and on the next at-bat, Katherine Brunner hit a ball to right center, with the Viking right fielder throwing to third in an attempt to get Vasquez-Dickson with the throw bouncing past third to the fence. Vasquez-Dickson took off for home, with a bad throw to the plate allowing Brunner to move to third. Hayden Luderer walked to put runners on the corners, where they were left stranded.

Trailing 3-1 and with the top of the lineup due up, Chavez and Hathoot reached on singles to start the seventh inning, but Chavez was thrown out at second on Hathoot’s hit after rounding second, and two flyouts ended the game.

Hathoot went 2-3 with a double with the Lobos finishing with seven hits.

McKenna Guest pitched her sixth complete game of the season, finishing with five strikeouts with two innings recording two strikeouts and two earned runs on four hits.

GAME 2: HAWAI’I 3, NEW MEXICO 1
The Lobos used a two-out rally to plate an early run with Hathoot reaching on a single to center and Yeatts driving her in on a double to right field.

Starting pitcher Taylor Snow and the defense retired the side in order in the bottom of the first, but the Rainbow Wahine put runners on in the second with a walk, sacrifice bunt and single to left to put runners on the corners. A popup to Yeatts in foul territory behind the plate provided the second out and a fielder’s choice by Hathoot kept Hawai’i off the board.

UNM had a chance to add to its lead in the second as Brunner led off with an infield single, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, where she was left on, and again in the fourth as Brunner doubled to left field followed by a walk for Karly Smith, but both were left stranded.

Hawai’i threatened in the bottom of the fourth on a single to the outfield and a double to right center that put two runners in scoring position, with UNM getting out of it on a popup to Brunner at second and fly ball to Chavez in left to leave two on.

Snow and the Lobo defense retired five consecutive Hawai’i hitters between the fourth and fifth innings, however, a Rainbow Wahine three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth put the home team in front. It was the first time this season that the Lobos lost their lead when leading after five innings.

Smith earned her second walk of the game in the top of the seventh, moving over to second on a sacrifice bunt by pinch hitter Gabrielle Briones for the second out and taking third on a wild pitch, but a strikeout ended the game.

Brunner went 2-3 at the plate to account for half of UNM’s hits in the game, and as a team, the Lobos left five runners on with four of them in scoring position.

In the circle, Snow pitched her third complete game of the season, finishing with two earned runs on five hits and retired the side in order in three of the six innings.

UNM closes out the Rainbow Wahine Classic with two final games on Friday, facing UConn at 4 p.m. MT and another game against Hawai’i at 9 p.m. MT.