McKenna Guest Named MW Freshman of the Week
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— After a strong week in the circle, New Mexico freshman pitcher McKenna Guest was named MW Freshman of the Week by the conference on Monday.
The Texas native went 2-0 on the week, throwing 16.2 innings and appearing in three of the four games with two complete games. Guest finished with a 1.26 ERA and struck out 13, which included throwing a season-high 8.0 innings and 148 pitches in the win against UNLV. Opponents hit .138 in her three appearances, with Guest getting the ball for 16.2 of UNM’s 29.0 innings and accounting for all 13 of UNM’s strikeouts on the week. Further, in UNM’s two wins on the week, she held a 0.93 ERA with 11 strikeouts and a .120 opponent batting average while throwing all 15.0 innings.
Among her highlights on the week, Guest carried a no-hitter through one out in the seventh inning against UTEP on Tuesday, finishing with six strikeouts and no walks, one run allowed on two hits. She retired the Miners in order in the first inning, which included her first strikeout of the game, and added two more strikeouts in the second. The freshman again retired the side in order in the third, needing just seven pitches. Additionally, the Lobo retired nine consecutive Miners between the fourth and seventh innings. During that stretch, the right-hander struck out one in the fourth on three pitches and added a strikeout in the sixth. She closed the game with a final strikeout in the seventh en route to the complete-game win.
Later in the week, Guest threw 8.0 innings in the game two win against UNLV, retiring the side in order in the second, which included two strikeouts, and the third, adding another strikeout. Between the first and third innings, Guest retired seven consecutive Rebels. The Lobo also demonstrated her defensive versatility, catching a liner back to the circle in the sixth inning with runners on first and second for the third out to keep the game tied at one, and in the seventh, left bases loaded after fielding a grounder back to the circle and throwing home for the third out. Guest retired the side in order in the top of the eighth, recording the second out on a grounder to the pitcher and striking out a Rebel on a 3-2 count for the final out. The freshman finished with five strikeouts and one run allowed on four hits for her second win of the week and second complete game.
In addition, Guest entered in relief in Friday’s game in the sixth inning, getting the two Rebels she faced in the inning out to leave two stranded and followed that up by striking out two in the seventh.
Guest is the first Lobo to win a weekly conference award this season.