Guest and Fritz Combine for Shutout Against Hawks Friday

STEPHENVILLE, Texas— Two runs in the second were all the Lobos needed in the opening game of the Tarleton Invitational against North Dakota Friday with McKenna Guest and Natalie Fritz combining for 11 strikeouts and the shutout in the 2-0 win.

Fritz entered in the bottom of the seventh with bases loaded and no outs and proceeded to retire the next three Hawks on a flyout to DeNae Vasquez-Dickson in left and struck out the next two batters, both looking, with the final out coming on the 3-2 pitch. Guest pitched 6.0 innings and tied her career high with nine strikeouts, striking out the side in order in the second, three in the third and one in the first, fourth and fifth.

The Lobo defense combined to leave 11 Hawks on base with seven in scoring position and a runner reaching third in the final two innings and in three innings overall.

As the designated visitors, the Lobos loaded the bases in the top of the first on a leadoff single by Ashley Archuleta, a fielder’s choice, a single up the middle by Vasquez-Dickson and a walk, but a double play ended the opportunity.

The Lobos again had two runners reach in the second utilizing patience at the plate to draw two walks, capitalizing with a double steal by Emma Bramson and Sydney Carithers to set up both runs. Hayden Luderer singled through the left side to push across a run, and with the lineup turned over, Archuleta beat out a throw to first to eliminate the double play and heads up running by Carithers at third put another run on the board.

Guest struck out the side in order in the bottom of the second and Allie Williams kept the momentum going with a walk to start the top of the third. Vasquez-Dickson reached on a fielding error to again put the first two runners on, but a lineout and two strikeouts left two more on.

A strikeout to start the bottom of the third made it four consecutive strikeouts before North Dakota had its first hit on a double off the wall. A passed ball advanced the runner, but Guest kept the Hawks off the board with her third strikeout of the inning.

Both teams left runners on base in the fourth with Carithers reaching second on a hit-by-pitch and sac bunt by Luderer before the inning came to an end, while UND had its leadoff batter reach on an error and a one-out single to left center put two on before a fielder’s choice with Guest fielding the ball in the circle and making the play at third and a strikeout ended the threat.

UND left two more on in the fifth with a flyout to Williams in right ending the inning, and after Miracle McKenzie hit a two-out double down the left field line where she was left standing, North Dakota had its leadoff hitter reach on a double off the wall in left field to apply pressure to the Lobo defense. A flyout to Williams in right with the runner tagging led to the first out and a flyout to Luderer in center and a foul out to Carithers at third kept the shutout in place.

The Lobos had a chance to add some insurance runs in the top of the seventh, loading the bases on an Archuleta hit-by-pitch, walk for Vasquez-Dickson and an infield single by Jessica DeLeon with the freshman beating out the throw to first. However, a strikeout left them loaded, with the Lobos ultimately leaving nine on base.

North Dakota had its first three hitters in the bottom of the seventh reach on two walks and a single through the left side with the Lobos going to the bullpen to bring in Fritz for Guest and the freshman preserving the shutout and earning the save.

The Lobos resume the Tarleton Invitational with two games on Saturday against Texas Southern at 11:15 a.m. MT and North Dakota at 3:45 p.m. MT.