Sixth-Inning Rally Against UST Comes Up Short as Lobos Drop Two Games Saturday
SAN MARCOS, Texas— The Lobos dropped both games in the Bobcat Tournament Saturday, falling to host Texas State 3-0 in the first game and fell to St. Thomas 5-4 after rallying late with four runs to tie the game in the sixth inning.
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson led New Mexico with four hits on the day and was one of four players to record one RBI on the day. Allie Williams and Katherine Brunner each finished with two hits between the two games.
UNM left a total of 15 runners on between the two games with nine runners against St. Thomas and six against Texas State.
GAME 1: The Bobcats took a lead in the bottom of the second on a leadoff home run before relief pitcher Lexi Atcitty struck out two and got a flyout to Keyannah Chavez in left to get the Lobos out of the inning. UNM had an opportunity to tie the game in the top of the third after Hayden Luderer led off with an infield single, beating out the throw to first and Emma Bramson reached on an error to put the tying run in scoring position. However, a flyout and strikeout left the runners stranded.
Texas State added two runs in the bottom of the fifth after its leadoff batter tripled down the right-field line and a fielder’s choice with the Lobos unable to get the runner at home on a hit to second, and another fielder’s choice with a hit to shortstop and the runner beating out the throw to home.
UNM had its best chance of the game to put runs on the board in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with Vasquez-Dickson leading off on a single to left field, a single to left by Williams and a two-out single to right field from Katherine Brunner. Entering to pinch hit, Ashley Archuleta hit the first pitch of her at-bat deep to left field with the Texas State outfielder making a leaping catch at the wall for the out to leave the tying run at first.
The Lobos had four hits in the game from four different players, and in the circle, Marina Tinari went 1.0 inning before Atcitty entered and pitched the remaining 5.0 innings, striking out four and allowing two runs on two hits and two walks.
GAME 2: Trailing 4-0 heading into the sixth inning, and as the designated visitors, the Lobos sent 10 batters to the plate, scoring four runs on four hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch to tie the game at four. However, St. Thomas hit a one-out double and a single to right on the next at-bat to take the lead in the bottom of the inning, which held as the final score.
Getting her second start of the season, Natalie Fritz struck out the first two Tommies she faced before an infield single, stolen base and single produced a run. The Lobos put two runners in scoring position in the third on an infield single by Sydney Carithers, single up the middle by Vasquez-Dickson and a sac bunt that put both runners in scoring position. With two outs, a fielder’s choice with Carithers being tagged out in a run down after breaking for home ended the inning.
St. Thomas added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth on a leadoff double to right field and a hit towards the 5-6 hole with Brunner fielding the ball before it reached the outfield turf, but wasn’t in time to throw out the Tommie at first. A stolen base and single up the middle scored both runners and a double to left field scored the final run of the inning before relief pitcher McKenna Guest got a strikeout to end the inning.
UNM left two more runners on in the fifth before stringing together at-bats in the sixth, going base to base to tie the game at four.
Williams started the inning with a four-pitch walk with Jessica DeLeon and Brunner hitting singles up the middle to load the bases with no outs. Archuleta walked on four pitches to put the Lobos on the board and Mya Pacheco singled up the middle for the second run. Bramson was hit by a pitch to bring in Brunner and Vasquez-Dickson singled to right field with one out to score Archuleta and tie the game. The Lobos were unable to bring in the go-ahead run after a strikeout and grounder to the pitcher left the bases loaded.
UST hit a one-out double to right center and a single to right field broke the tie before a flyout to Chavez and a strikeout ended the inning.
The tying run was on first following a two-out single by Archuleta, but a fielder’s choice ended the game on the next at-bat.
Fritz went 3.2 innings in the start, striking out five to tie her season high and not allowing a walk, while Guest went 2.1 innings and struck out three, taking the loss after allowing one run on three hits.
UNM concludes the Bobcat Tournament on Sunday at 12:15 a.m. CT/ 11:15 a.m. MT against Texas State.