Guest Throws Complete Game as Lobos Shutout Tritons

SAN DIEGO—The Lobos scored one run in the second and four runs in the fifth inning, while McKenna Guest threw her seventh complete game and fourth shutout of the season in a 5-0 win over UC San Diego on Tuesday.

UNM finished with eight hits in the game behind 2-3 performances from DeNae Vasquez-Dickson and Sydney Carithers, with five players recording one RBI in the game. Guest finished with four strikeouts to no walks, allowing four hits and retired the side in order in four innings.  Both of Carithers’ hits in the game went for doubles to give her four on the season.

The Lobos opened the scoring with one run on three hits in the third after Carithers hit a one-out double to the gap in right center and advanced to third on an Ella Dawson fly out to right. Emma Bramson drove her in on a single up the middle with the inning continuing on a single to right from Hayden Luderer to put two runners in scoring position, where they were left stranded.

Guest retired the first eight Tritons she faced before UCSD had its first runner reach on a bunt. The Triton stole second and third before a grounder to Luderer ended the inning with the one-run lead intact.

The Lobo defense retired the side in order in the fourth before stringing together four runs on four hits with Luderer leading off the inning on a hit-by-pitch. Ashley Archuleta put two runners on an infield hit. Vasquez-Dickson plated the first run of the inning on a single through the left side to score Luderer, and after Miracle McKenzie walked to load the bases, Allie Williams hit a blooper into center field with the out being made at third and Archuleta scoring.

Jessica DeLeon kept the scoring going on a single down the right field line to score pinch runner Ava Castillo and Carithers hit her second double of the game to score Williams. Dawson walked on a full count to load the bases back up before the inning came to an end on a fielder’s choice with the out being made at home and a strikeout.

Guest retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth, her fourth inning doing so, and worked around two runners in scoring position in the sixth following a single through the right side, a bunt with the runner beating out the throw, getting the second out on a bunt back to Guest with the play being made at first and a popup to Emma Bramson at second.

Two fly outs to Williams in right started the bottom of the seventh before UCSD had a runner reach on a single to center field. However, a liner to Carithers at third provided the final out to preserve the shutout.

The Lobos return to the field and to conference play on April 2 at Utah State.