Lobos Drop Doubleheader at NMSU
LAS CRUCES, N.M.— The Lobos dropped both games of Tuesday’s doubleheader at New Mexico State, falling 9-1 in five innings in the first game before a late four-run Aggie inning led to a 8-4 final in the second game.
Rachael Hathoot led New Mexico at the plate in both games, going 2-3 in the first game and went 2-4 in the second game with a home run. Macie Andrews went 2-3 and Chloe Yeatts went 2-4 in the second game.
McKenna Guest was the pitcher on record in both games throwing 6.2 of the 10.2 innings, while Taylor Snow started the first game and went 2.2 innings and Emily Brouse pitched 1.1 innings.
GAME 2
After a scoreless first two innings in which the Lobos left runners on third in both innings, Hathoot hit her second home run of the season in the top of the third to get the Lobos on the board with UNM later doubling its lead on a passed ball that allowed Ashley Archuleta to score from third.
NMSU answered in the bottom half of the inning with a three-run home run and a RBI double to go ahead 4-2. UNM got a run back in its next at-bat behind a two-out rally as Andrews hit a double off the wall in left and a hit up the middle by Sydney Carithers scored Andrews from second.
Guest and the Lobo defense sat down the Aggies in order in the bottom of the fourth with two grounders to Carithers at third and a grounder to Emma Bramson to keep the Lobos within reach at one run, with the Lobos drawing even in the top of the fifth.
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson reached on a fielding error to start the top of the fifth and took second on a wild pitch to put the tying run in scoring position. Archuleta battled at the plate, fouling off three consecutive pitches before reaching on a muffed catch by the second baseman to put runners on the corners. While a double play prevented the Lobos from building on the inning, Vasquez-Dickson was able to score from third to tie the game.
NMSU broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth, aided by a throwing error that allowed two runners to score followed three at-bats later by a double to left center that scored two more.
The Lobos had two runners reach in the top of the seventh on a single by Yeatts and Katherine Brunner drawing a walk, but both were left stranded as a fielder’s choice ended the game.
Three Lobos finished with two hits in Hathoot, Yeatts and Andrews with the Lobos finishing with nine as a team. Of the nine, three went for extra bases as Andrews and Karly Smith tallied doubles and Hathoot hit a home run.
GAME 1
Both teams plated a run in the first inning, with the Lobos getting on the board on a leadoff single to center by Hathoot with the Lobo shortstop moving to second on a Vasquez-Dickson sacrifice bunt. Two at-bats later, Yeatts struck out swinging, but a wild pitch and throwing error to first allowed Yeatts to reach and Hathoot to come around to score for the early Lobo lead.
However, a solo home run in the home half tied the game. NMSU added two runs in the second, one run in the fourth and closed the contest with five runs in the fifth to enforce the run-rule.
Hathoot accounted for half of UNM’s hits in the game with Archuleta and Andrews responsible for the other two.
Up next: the Lobos have a quick turnaround with a three-game series with Nevada starting on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. MT.