Lobos Lose Early Lead Against Bulldogs Thursday

FRESNO, Calif.— The Lobos jumped out to a 5-0 lead through their first three at-bats of Thursday’s game at Fresno State, but two errors in the fourth inning allowed the Bulldogs to tie the game and take a 6-5 lead in the 7-5 final.

UNM scored three runs in the first inning after Ashley Archuleta reached on a walk and an error on DeNae Vasquez-Dickson’s at-bat with the Bulldogs trying to get the lead runner put the first two Lobos on. Allie Williams cleared the bases on a triple to the gap in right with Jessica DeLeon following it up with a sacrifice fly to deep right that allowed Williams to tag for the 3-0 lead.

Starter McKenna Guest and the Lobo defense kept the Bulldogs off the board in the first two innings with Guest recording two strikeouts in the first inning and Williams making a grab in right to prevent a run, and Guest added a strikeout in the second to end the inning and leave two Bulldogs on base.

The Lobos extended their lead with two runs on three hits in the top of the third with Hayden Luderer hitting a two-out single up the middle and coming around to score on a Sydney Carithers double to left field. Carithers advanced to third on a wild pitch with Emma Bramson bringing her in on a single that floated over the second baseman’s glove before the inning came to an end.

Following a foul out to Vasquez-Dickson in left to start the bottom of the third, the Bulldogs loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch, single up the middle and walk on a full count. A single that fell over the head of Miracle McKenzie and into shallow right plated Fresno State’s first run and a single to right field brought in two more runs to make it a 5-3 game. The Lobos went to the bullpen to bring in Natalie Fritz, and on her first batter faced, got the Lobos out of the inning on a fly ball to Vasquez-Dickson in left with the Lobo outfielder throwing an accurate throw home to double up the runner trying to tag from third and keep the game 5-3.

UNM again got the first Bulldog out to start the bottom of the fourth, but a single and a throwing error allowed both Bulldogs to move into scoring position and a walk loaded the bases in consecutive innings. A fielder’s choice with a throwing error at second allowed two runs to score to tie the game and a grounder to second brought in the third run of the inning and gave the Bulldogs a 6-5 lead.

DeLeon reached on a fielding error with pinch runner Grace Rana moving into scoring position on a grounder to third, where she was left stranded. The Bulldogs added a run in the home half of the inning on a double, sac bunt and sacrifice fly.

UNM had runners reach in the top of the sixth on a leadoff single by Bramson and a leadoff double in the seventh by Williams, but the Lobos were unable to bring either Lobo in, ultimately leaving seven runners on base in the game.

Williams led the Lobos with a double and a triple in a 2-4 outing with Bramson and Carithers going 2-3 with one RBI each.

In the circle, Guest went 2.1 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Fritz threw 3.2 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits.

Game two of the series is set for Friday at 7 p.m. MT/ 6 p.m. PT.