Lobos Fall to Spartans in Series Finale
SAN JOSE, Calif.— The Lobos scored in both the first and second innings to take leads, but a five-run third inning proved to be the difference in the Sunday series finale at San José State with the Spartans winning 9-3.
Rachael Hathoot and Chloe Yeatts tallied multiple hits, with Hathoot going 3-4 at the top of the lineup and Yeatts going 2-4 in the cleanup spot. Of the eight UNM hits, seven came from the top four in the lineup with DeNae Vasquez-Dickson and Keyannah Chavez with one apiece. Emma Bramson was responsible for the other hit.
Vasquez-Dickson ked with two of UNM’s three RBI with Yeatts accounting for the other.
UNM put pressure on SJSU’s starter early with Hathoot leading off with a single to right field and Vasquez-Dickson sacrificing her over to second. After Chavez drew a walk, Yeatts drove the 1-2 pitch back up the middle to bring Hathoot around, with the Lobos scoring one run on two hits.
However, SJSU answered with a run of its own behind a two-out rally on a triple and double before a flyout to Hayden Luderer in right ended the inning.
The Lobos answered right back with Bramson getting the second started with a single to left and the Lobos creating a two-out rally of their own to produce a run, courtesy of the top of the lineup. Hathoot singled up the middle to move Bramson to second and Vasquez-Dickson put the Lobos back in front on a single up the middle with Bramson scoring from second on the play.
Lobo starter Taylor Snow retired the side in order in the bottom of the second to keep the Lobos in the lead, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the third with the Spartans taking the 3-2 lead, forcing a Lobo pitching change. The Spartans ultimately scored five runs on five hits in the inning and benefited on one error, with the Lobos using three pitchers in the inning.
SJSU added one run in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff fielding error coming around to score, and added two runs in the fifth before Snow reentered and got the Lobos out of the inning on a flyout to Vasquez-Dickson in center.
UNM rallied for one final run in the top of the seventh with pinch hitter Karly Smith reaching on a throwing error and taking second on the play. With one out and the lineup turned over, Hathoot hit a single to center to put runners on the corners and Vasquez-Dickson beat out the throw to first on what would have been a game-ending double play, allowing Smith to score. Chavez singled to left to keep the game going, but a foul out to right ended the game.
The Lobos had their leadoff reach in four innings, with all three runs coming from the leadoff runners.
Snow took the loss in the game after going 3.2 innings, allowing four hits, four runs (three earned) and striking out one on 16 batters faced.
Up next: the Lobos return home to begin a four-game homestand, starting with UTEP on Tuesday at 3 p.m.