Lobos Secure Series Over Spartans

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos secured the series win over the Spartans on Sunday, scoring two runs in the first, three in the fifth and one run in the sixth for the 6-4 win.

Ashley Archuleta led the Lobos with a 4-4 performance at the plate which included two doubles, while DeNae Vasquez-Dickson and Hayden Luderer finished with two RBI each with Vasquez-Dickson hitting her first home run of the season and Luderer adding two doubles.

Vasquez-Dickson was one of two Lobos who hit their first home run of the season, joined by Katherine Brunner’s solo home run that tied the game in the fifth.

In the circle, sophomore McKenna Guest threw her sixth complete game of the season and UNM’s eighth of the season, moving to 11-5 on the season with the win. Guest struck out five to four walks, and of the four runs scored, only two were earned.

San José State opened the scoring in the top of the first with two runs before a Guest strikeout left the bases loaded.

UNM needed just two at-bats to even the score with Archuleta hitting a double off of the center field wall and Vasquez-Dickson drove the 1-0 pitch over the center field wall to pull the Lobos level.

The Lobo defense kept the game tied in the top of the second after the Spartans put runners on the corners on a flyout to Allie Williams in right, and worked around a throwing error in the top of the third with Guest recording two strikeouts and a flyout to Hayden Luderer in center.

Williams came inches from giving the Lobos the lead in the bottom of the third with the Spartan centerfielder robbing the Lobo freshman of a home run to end the inning.

SJSU broke the tie in the top of the fourth behind two walks, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly, but the Lobos were able to limit the damage on a grounder to Sydney Carithers at third to leave to runners in scoring position.

A Miracle McKenzie one-out single to right followed by a double to right from Luderer set the Lobos up with two runners in scoring position, but a grounder to third and popup to second left both Lobos stranded in the bottom of the fourth, with the Lobos taking the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three runs on three hits.

After fouling off the first pitch, Brunner hit her first home run of the season to tie the game at three, with Archuleta following up with a single up the middle and moved over on a Vasquez-Dickson sac bunt. Williams reached on a hit-by-pitch and McKenzie battled to a 10-pitch at-bat before drawing a walk to load the bases.

Luderer delivered with a hit to left field that allowed both Archuleta and Williams to score for the 5-3 Lobo lead.

Guest retired the side in order in the sixth and the Lobo bats pushed across a final run in the home half of the inning with Emma Bramson starting the inning with a walk. Archuleta hit her second double of the game to move Bramson to third and after Vasquez-Dickson walked to load the bases, Williams hit a sacrifice fly to left field with Bramson tagging on the play.

SJSU scored one run in the top of the seventh, benefiting from a fielding error and a double to the gap in left center that allowed the runner from first to score, and with the tying run at the plate, a strikeout clinched the win.

With the win, the Lobos improved to 16-13-1, 2-1 in the Mountain West.

Up next: the Lobos travel to UTEP on Tuesday, followed by a Mountain West series at San Diego State March 21-23.