Lobos Walk-Off Hornets, Split Saturday in Starkville
STARKVILLE, Miss.— The Lobos split Saturday in Starkville at the Bulldog Invitational, putting up four runs on 10 hits against No. 21 Mississippi State in a 10-4 loss before closing the night with a 6-3 walk-off win over Alabama State on a Miracle McKenzie three-run home run.
GAME 1:
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson led off against the Bulldogs with a walk, the sixth time the Lobos have started a game with a walk this season and the second time for Vasquez-Dickson. Allie Williams followed suit to put the first two on, and two at-bats later, Ella Dawson singled to right to load the bases with one out, but a double play ended the chance to take an early lead.
The Bulldogs plated four runs in the bottom of the first on a two-run home run followed by a solo home run, leading to a pitching change with Caprice Barela entering in place of McKenna Guest. Barela put the first Bulldog she faced on with a hit-by-pitch before getting the first out for the Lobos on a strikeout. However, a double to the gap in left center scored the runner from first, with the Lobos getting the second out on a relay from Hayden Luderer to Katherine Brunner to Sydney Carithers at home, with the Lobo catcher throwing out the Bulldog trying to take third.
UNM again had runners reach in the second with McKenzie leading off with a single followed by a single from Emma Bramson to put two on with one out. A fielder’s choice put runners on the corners, with the runners left stranded on a strikeout.
MSU added a run in the third to make it 5-0 with the Lobos breaking through in the fifth inning with two runs on four hits.
Bramson led off with a single up the middle with Vasquez-Dickson hitting a triple to left two at-bats later to score the first run. Williams hit a single back up the middle to score Vasquez-Dickson and the Lobos continued to threaten with Dawson hitting a single to center field and Keyannah Chavez drawing a walk on a full count to load the bases. McKenzie came inches from giving the Lobos the lead on a ball hit over the left field wall that was just foul, with her at-bat ending on a fielder’s choice to leave them loaded.
The Bulldogs scored three runs on two home runs in the home half of the fifth with the Lobos scoring two runs in the top of the sixth.
Ashley Archuleta entered to pinch hit to start the top of the sixth and drove the first pitch she saw off the wall in right field for a stand-up double and after a strikeout, Luderer hit her first career home run to right that made it 8-4.
MSU matched it with two runs in the bottom of the sixth for the final runs of the game.
Luderer led the Lobos with two RBI with Vasquez-Dickson and Williams each accounting for one. The Lobos finished with 10 hits, the sixth time this season reaching double digits with Bramson, McKenzie and Dawson each recording two.
The Lobos used four pitchers in the game with Guest getting the start before Barela entered to throw 4.0 innings with two strikeouts, three hits and three runs. Marina Tinari threw 1.0 inning with Lexi Atcitty finishing with 1.0 inning.
GAME 2:
As the designated home team against the Hornets, starter Natalie Fritz retired the side in order to start the game with one strikeout as the Lobos plated one run in their first at-bats.
Archuleta led off with a triple down the right field line with Vasquez-Dickson bringing her in on the next at-bat on a single through the right side. A wild pitch and walk for Williams put two on with no outs, but the next three Lobos were retired without either runner advancing.
Fritz retired the side in order in the second, adding two more strikeouts to her total, and again in the third with one strikeout in the frame to retire the first nine Hornets she faced.
The Lobos had a chance to add to their lead in the home half of the third after Jessica DeLeon hit a single down the right field line with two outs and moved to third on a throwing error by the ASU shortstop that put runners on the corners, but a strikeout left two more on.
Alabama State tied the game in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of a walk, a stolen base and a single to right before a fielder’s choice and strikeout ended the inning.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the fifth with the top of the Lobo lineup responsible for the go-ahead run.
Archuleta started the inning with a four-pitch walk and Vasquez-Dickson laid down a sac bunt to move her to second. With two outs in the inning, DeLeon delivered with a single through the right side to score Archuleta from second and the 2-1 Lobo lead.
After Fritz struck out two in the top of the sixth, the Lobos added to their lead with a run in the bottom of the inning. Georgia Heathcock started off with a pinch-hit walk with Bramson moving her over on a sac bunt. Luderer brought her around on a single up the middle.
ASU tied the game in the top of the seventh on a leadoff double and single to center field that scored a run followed by a fielding error by the Lobos that allowed the tying run to score. Fritz recorded the first out on a strikeout with the second out coming on a grounder to McKenzie with the runner moving to second. A full count walk put two runners on but a fielder’s choice got the Lobos out of the inning tied at three.
A trio of freshmen set up the walk off with Williams starting off the bottom of the seventh with a double and DeLeon adding a walk to put the first two runners on. McKenzie ended it on the 1-0 pitch with a home run to left field, her first as a Lobo.
McKenzie led the Lobos with three RBI on a 2-4 outing at the plate with Vasquez-Dickson, DeLeon and Luderer all accounting for one RBI. UNM finished with nine hits in the game with three Lobos finishing with two.
In the circle, Fritz threw her first complete game, finishing with nine strikeouts, four hits allowed and of the three runs, one earned.
The Lobos conclude the Bulldog Invitational against Alabama State on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. MT.