Guest Strikes Out Career High as Lobos Split Friday at Bulldog Invitational
STARKVILLE, Miss.— The Lobos split the opening day of the Bulldog Invitational, winning in run-rule fashion in the first game against Northwestern State 11-3 and dropping the second game of the day, 6-1 to No. 21 Mississippi State.
GAME 1:
The Lobos earned their third run-rule of the season and second in the last three games, after reaching double-digit hits for the fifth time this season and scored 10 or more runs for the third time this season and third time in five games in an 11-3 victory over Northwestern State in five innings Friday afternoon.
McKenna Guest moved to 6-3 on the season following a career-high 10 strikeouts in which she didn’t allow a walk, throwing her third complete game of the season.
At the plate, UNM finished with 13 hits, tying its season high, and was led by a 3-3 outing from DeNae Vasquez-Dickson that produced three runs, a 3-4 performance from Ashley Archuleta in the leadoff spot and 2-3 finish from Allie Williams for the top-three hitters in the Lobo lineup. It was Vasquez-Dickson’s second three-RBI game this season, matching her career high.
Guest struck out the first three batters to start the game, the first on three pitches and the next two on four, with the Lobos putting a run on the board in their first at-bats of the game.
Archuleta led off with a single to left field with Vasquez-Dickson moving her over on a sac bunt, advancing to third on a wild pitch and scoring on a passed ball for early lead. It was the seventh time this season that UNM had scored in the first inning.
Guest struck out the fourth Demon to start the second inning and proceeded to strike out the next two to give her six strikeouts through six batters faced. She struck out the first NSU hitter in the third to give her seven consecutive strikeouts before NSU made contact and popped up to Archuleta at second, ending the inning with her eighth strikeout of the game.
UNM extended its lead in the third with seven runs on seven hits which included three doubles and 11 Lobos coming to the plate, the third time this season scoring seven or more runs in an inning.
Hayden Luderer led off with an infield single followed by Archuleta hitting her third double of the season to put two runners in scoring position. Vasquez-Dickson drove both in on a single to right and took second on the throw, with Williams keeping the hits going with a single to right to put runners on the corners. Jessica DeLeon drove both in on a double to center field and Katherine Brunner walked to load the bases with one out. Miracle McKenzie made it 6-0 on a single down the left field line to score Williams and DeLeon and Sydney Carithers hit a double to right field on the next at-bat to score Brunner. A grounder to the shortstop allowed pinch runner Emma Bramson to score for the 8-0 Lobo lead.
NSU scored three runs in the top of the fourth after a triple to left center scored two and an infield single with Guest tying her career high with her ninth strikeout of the game in the inning.
The Lobos kept the offense rolling with Vasquez-Dickson leading off with a single to left and Williams adding a double to put both runners in scoring position. Entering to pinch hit, Grace Rana hit a sacrifice fly out to center with Vasquez-Dickson tagging from third and Williams advancing to third, with Brunner singling to right to score Williams for the 10-3 lead.
Guest recorded her 10th strikeout of the game for her career high as the Lobo defense retired the side in order in the fifth and the Lobos needed four at-bats to end the game.
Carithers started off the bottom of the fifth on a hit-by-pitch with Luderer laying down the sac bunt to move pinch runner Ava Castillo into scoring position. Archuleta hit a single to right to put runners on the corners and Vasquez-Dickson drove the 1-2 pitch to right field to score Castillo for the game-ending run.
GAME 2:
New Mexico had its first two hitters reach on a leadoff single by Vasquez-Dickson and a single by Williams to put runners on the corners. However, the Lobos were unable to put a run on the board.
The game remained scoreless until Mississippi State got on the board with a two-run home run in the third and added two more home runs in the fourth to build a 6-0 lead.
UNM had two runners reach in the top of the seventh on a hit-by-pitch for Brunner and Bramson walked. A fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with two outs and Jewels Hanawahine worked her way on base, taking a hit-by-pitch after fouling off four pitches in her at-bat to load the bases. Luderer was the third Lobo to get hit by a pitch to break the shutout as Brunner came in to score before the game came to an end.
UNM finished with three hits with Vasquez-Dickson, Williams and Carithers each recording one. UNM used three in the circle with Natalie Fritz getting the start and going 3.0 innings to take the loss. Fritz struck out one and allowed two runs on four hits. Caprice Barela entered in relief of Lexi Atcitty and threw the final 2.2 innings, striking out one and allowing three hits but no runs.
Up next: the Lobos have two on the schedule for Saturday, facing No. 21 Mississippi State again to start the day at 2 p.m. MT followed by Alabama State at 4:30 p.m. MT. The game against Mississippi State will be on ESPN+.