Lobos Drop Doubleheader at Utah State
LOGAN, Utah— The Lobos dropped a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Utah State, going 12 innings in a 7-6 loss before falling in a time-restricted game two, 8-6.
Jessica DeLeon went 7-7 at the plate and led the Lobos with four RBI and a 1.286 slugging percentage and .900 on-base percentage.
GAME 1
The Lobos fell behind 2-0 in the second inning of game one before tying the game in the fourth inning on a leadoff double from DeLeon and a home run to center two at-bats later by Miracle McKenzie.
UNM continued its offense in the top of the fifth, taking the lead on three runs on three hits with Katherine Brunner starting off the inning with a double to the gap in right center, with Hayden Luderer advancing her to third on a sac bunt, and after DeNae Vasquez-Dickson drew a walk, DeLeon hit her second double of the game to clear the bases and take the lead. Allie Williams followed suit with a double to right center to score DeLeon for the 5-2 Lobo lead.
However, USU answered with three runs in the home half to tie the game, with the score holding until the seventh inning.
Ashley Archuleta led off the seventh with a double to left center with Vasquez-Dickson laying down a sac bunt to move her to third. On the next at-bat, DeLeon’s sac fly to left allowed Archuleta to tag for the 6-5 lead.
Natalie Fritz retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh on a fly ball to Williams in right and a strikeout, but a walk and double to right center on the 1-2 pitch allowed the Aggies to tie the game. With the go-ahead run on third, Fritz sent the game to extra innings on a strikeout.
The Lobos had a chance to go ahead in the top of the 10th after DeLeon reached on a leadoff single to left, Williams hit a single that dropped into center and McKenzie walked on four pitches to load the bases to start the inning. However, a strikeout and flyout in right with the Aggies doubling off the runner at first as DeLeon was tagging from third prevented the Lobos from plating a run.
UNM again had its first two batters reach in the top of the 12th as DeLeon led off with a single up the middle, which Williams replicated on the next at-bat, but a double play and strikeout thwarted the opportunity.
A leadoff triple off the wall in right followed by a single in the bottom of the 12th ended the game, the longest game in the series history against USU.
McKenna Guest got the start and went 4.1 innings before Fritz threw 6.2 innings and a season-high 127 pitches, striking out six and allowing two runs on six hits and five walks in the loss.
DeLeon went 5-5 at the plate with two doubles to finish with three RBI and McKenzie adding two RBI on her third home run of the season. As a team, UNM finished with 12 hits, five going for doubles and one for a home run.
GAME 2
The Lobos struck first in the second game, with Archuleta coming all the way around to score following a leadoff single to left center. A Vasquez-Dickson bunt moved her to second, DeLeon walked following a full count and Williams loaded the bases on a one-out single to right. McKenzie walked following a 3-1 count to bring in Archuleta.
USU answered with two runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead, but UNM got the runs right back in its next at-bats with two runs on three hits.
Sydney Carithers led off with a double to right center with Emma Bramson moving her over on a sac bunt to turn the lineup over. Archuleta hit the second double of the inning off the wall in left to score Carithers and two at-bats later, DeLeon delivered with the go-ahead run on a single to center that allowed Archuleta to score from second.
The Aggies retook the lead in the bottom of the second with two runs, to which the Lobos responded to tie the game at four in the top of the third after McKenzie reached on a fielding error and pinch runner Ava Castillo moved to second on a grounder by Brunner and to third on a single through the right side. A sac fly from Carithers allowed her to tag from third for the tying run.
UNM had an opportunity to take the lead in the third as Bramson kept the inning going on a single to center and Archuleta walked following a full count and a 10-pitch at-bat after fouling off four consecutive pitches to load the bases, but a foul out to left kept them stranded.
Utah State scored four runs in the bottom of the third to go in front 8-4 with the Lobos getting two runs back in the fourth on a Carithers single up the middle with two outs after DeLeon led off with a single up the middle, Williams singled through the left side and pinch hitter Ella Dawson drew a walk to load the bases.
Fighting time constraints due to a predetermined travel cutoff time, the game was called in the fifth inning.
Carithers led the Lobos with three RBI on a 2-2 outing at the plate, while DeLeon went 2-2 with one RBI and Archuleta went 2-3 with one RBI. UNM finished with 10 hits in the game, also leaving 10 runners on base.
In the circle, Guest got the ball to start, going 1.1 inning before Lexi Atcitty entered to throw 1.1 inning and Caprice Barela threw 1.1 inning.
UP NEXT: The Lobos return home to start a five-game homestand starting with Boise State April 5-6.