Lobos Defeat Huskies, Battle Cougars to Extra Innings Saturday
HOUSTON, Texas — The Lobos started Saturday with a 3-2 win over Houston Christian to sweep the Huskies on the weekend, led by a pair of freshmen in Miracle McKenzie and Natalie Fritz.
Keyannah Chavez was the first base runner to reach for either team on a leadoff four-pitch walk in the second inning and took second on a wild pitch. Ashley Archuleta followed with an infield single that moved Chavez to third and stole second during McKenzie’s at-bat to set up runners in scoring position with no outs. Sydney Carithers was hit by a pitch with a full count to load the bases with two outs, but the bases were left loaded on a popup to the shortstop on the 3-2 count.
HCU had its first runner reach in the bottom of the second on a fielding error with the Husky taking second, but a popup to Archuleta at second and a grounder to Emma Bramson at shortstop evaded any damage.
The Lobos broke through in the third in part to the top of the lineup and a two-out timely hit by McKenzie. DeNae Vasquez-Dickson reached on a single up the middle with Chavez reaching on a fielding error with two outs. Archuleta walked following a full count to load the bases and McKenzie delivered with a single up the middle following a 3-2 count to score Vasquez-Dickson and Chavez.
The Huskies tied the game in the bottom of the third on a double, prompting a pitching change with Frtiz coming in for starter Lexi Atcitty. Fritz retired the next two hitters on a liner back to the circle and a lineout to left to keep the game tied.
UNM answered with a run in its next inning at the plate, set up by a fielding error. Carithers reached on an error to start the fourth, with Bramson executing a sac bunt to move her over and Allie Williams advancing her on a grounder to third. A passed ball allowed Carithers to score before the inning came to an end.
Williams hit a one-out single down the right-field line in the seventh with a fielder’s choice on the next at-bat eliminating the lead runner. A throwing error by the HCU pitcher allowed Jessica DeLeon to reach and Vasquez-Dickson to move to third to extend the inning, but a strikeout left the runners stranded.
Holding a one-run lead, Fritz struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh before allowing a walk. However, Fritz struck out the next batter to secure her first win as a Lobo.
Fritz finished with 4.2 scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing one hit on 16 batters faced and 59 pitches, 40 of which went for strikes. In addition, she retired 11 consecutive hitters between the fourth and seventh innings.
Both teams finished with four hits with Williams, Archuleta, Vasquez-Dickson and McKenzie accounting for one.
GAME 2: For the second-straight day, the Lobos battled the Cougars inning-for-inning, with the Cougars walking off in the bottom of the 10th in a 6-4 final. After Houston took a 2-0 lead in the third, UNM answered with two runs in the top of the fourth, and after Houston took a 3-2 lead in the fifth, the Lobos rallied in the top of the seventh to tie the game and send it to extras.
Freshman DeLeon led the Lobos with two RBI with Carithers leading UNM with three hits and also added one RBI. UNM finished with 13 hits in the game, with five players registering multiple hits, but also left 11 runners on compared to five from Houston.
The Cougars loaded the bases in the bottom half of the third inning, with starter McKenna Guest getting the first out on a strikeout. A wild pitch with an errant throw to the plate allowed the runner from third to score for the first run of the game and a sac fly scored a second run.
UNM responded in the top of the fourth as Archuleta reached on a bunt to the pitcher and Chavez hit a single to the gap in right center to put runners on the corners with two outs. Carithers tied the game with a hit off the wall in center to score Archuleta, with an errant throw in allowing Chavez to score.
After a double play ended the fourth inning, the Lobos loaded the bases in the fifth on a Vasquez-Dickson walk, and consecutive singles by Williams and McKenzie, but a double play ended the chance.
A triple by the Cougars to start the fifth led to a one-out sac fly to Williams in right to break the tie.
Trailing 3-2 in the top of the seventh, Vasquez-Dickson hit the 1-0 pitch to left, getting the ball to drop for the double and Williams was intentionally walked to put two on with one out. McKenzie flied out to right field with Vasquez-Dickson tagging to third on the play, and with two outs, DeLeon had her first clutch hit of the game with a single to the outfield to score Vasquez-Dickson and tie the game.
Facing extra innings for the first time this season, the Lobos broke the tie in the top of the 10th on a leadoff home run to left by DeLeon with the Lobos getting two more runners on after singles to the outfield from Chavez and Carithers with one out, but the Lobos were unable to bring in any more runs.
The Cougars tied the game in the home half of the inning on an infield single, a sac bunt that moved the runner over and a single up the middle that scored the run. On the next at-bat, UH walked it off with a home run.
In the circle, Guest went 6.0 innings and allowed two earned runs while striking out three. Atcitty pitched 3.1 innings and struck out one in the loss.
On the day, Carithers, Williams and Archuleta finished with three hits for the team high with DeLeon and McKenzie leading the Lobos with two RBI.
UNM closes opening weekend with a final game against St. John’s at 9 a.m. MT Sunday.