Lobos Open Purple Classic with Win Against Hawks
PHOENIX— The Lobos opened the Purple Classic with a 7-4 win over St. Joseph’s, breaking the game open in the top of the third inning with four runs, added two runs in the fifth and a run in the sixth.
UNM finished with 10 hits in the game, reaching double-digit hits for the seventh time this season. Two Lobos finished with multiple hits, with Ashley Archuleta and Allie Williams finishing with two hits. Jessica DeLeon led the Lobos with a bases-clearing double with bases loaded, one of three Lobos with a double in the game (Sydney Carithers and Emma Bramson).
In the circle, McKenna Guest went 4.0 innings in the win, striking out seven to two walks and five hits allowed. Neither of the runs scored on Guest were earned. Natalie Fritz entered to pitch the final 3.0 innings, adding two strikeouts to earn her second save of the season.
St. Joe’s had its first two batters reach in the bottom of the first on a walk and a hit to right, with both runners advancing into scoring position on a fielding error. However, Guest prevented any runs on a strikeout, a pop up to Carithers at second and a second strikeout.
Guest retired the side in order in the bottom of the second, adding two more strikeouts, with the Lobos scoring four runs on three hits, aided by two errors in the top of the third.
Carithers led off the inning with a double to the gap in right center, taking third on a wild pitch, but was thrown out in a run down on a fielder’s choice on the next at-bat for the first out. DeNae Vasquez-Dickson reached on a fielding error by the SJU infield and Williams kept the inning going with a single to left field to load the bases. After starting off with two swinging strikes, DeLeon fouled off the next two pitches before driving the ball off the wall in left field to clear the bases with her fourth double of the season. Miracle McKenzie scored pinch runner Grace Rana on the next at-bat on an error by the SJU shortstop for the 4-0 Lobo lead.
The Hawks added a two-out rally of their own to score two runs, both unearned to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third.
However, the Lobos got the runs right back in their next at-bats with Carithers reaching on a one-out walk following a full count. Hayden Luderer singled to third base with both runners advancing a base on a passed ball. Archuleta drove in the first run on a single to right center and Vasquez-Dickson followed with a single to left field to make it 6-2 UNM.
Guest struck out the first two Hawks in the bottom of the fourth before allowing a walk, with the runner left stranded on a groundout to Bramson at third.
Fritz entered in the bottom of the fifth following a leadoff single, with the freshman retiring the next three Hawks to maintain the four-run lead.
The Lobos scored a final run in the top of the sixth with the run coming with two outs and led by the top of the Lobo lineup. Archuleta started the rally with a single up the middle with Vasquez-Dickson reaching on a fielding error and Williams singling to right field with a 1-2 count to score Archuleta.
In total, five of UNM’s runs and five hits came with two outs.
Fritz and the Lobo defense retired SJU in order in the bottom of the sixth and UNM had a chance to add to its lead in the top of the seventh after Bramson hit a two-out double and took third on a wild pitch, but a fly ball to right ended the inning with a runner left in scoring position.
A fielding error opened the door for the Hawks in the bottom of the seventh, with the hitter ending up on second on the play. An infield single put runners on the corners and after a stolen base, a passed ball allowed a run to score. Fritz got the first out on a strikeout before a bunt led to a second run scoring. However, a fly ball to Vasquez-Dickson and groundout to Carithers at second ended the game.
Of note, the two hits were Williams’ eighth multi-hit game of the season and DeLeon’s three RBI was her fourth multi-RBI game of the season, tying Williams for the season high. In addition, Vasquez-Dickson and Williams extended their hitting streaks to six games with Vasquez-Dickson extending her streak of reaching base to 16 and Archuleta extending hers to 12.
With the win, UNM has won its last three games and move to 11-11-1 on the season. UNM faces two teams on Friday starting with San Diego at noon MT followed by Penn at 2:30 p.m. MT.