Lobos Drop Tuesday Contest to Miners
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos tied Tuesday’s game at three on a leadoff home run from Sydney Carithers and a triple by Ashley Archuleta that scored Jewels Hanawahine from first, however, UTEP answered with four runs in the fifth in the 7-3 final score.
Carithers, Archuleta and DeNae Vasquez-Dickson went 2-4 at the plate with UNM finishing with 10 hits in the contest.
Both teams scored in their first at-bats with Vasquez-Dickson the first Lobo to reach base on a double to left center and came around to score on a misplay at first, UTEP’s first error of the game, to tie the game at one.
Following a scoreless second, the Miners hit a two-run home run in the third to go back in front, with the Lobos having an opportunity to equalize in the home half after loading the bases on three hits. Archuleta hit a one-out single to right field with Vasquez-Dickson following with a single to center field, and after a fielder’s choice, Grace Rana hit an infield single to load the bases. However, a popup to second left them loaded.
McKenna Guest and the Lobo defense retired the side in order in the top of the fourth, with Carithers starting the bottom of the inning driving the first pitch of her at-bat over the wall in left center for her third home run of the season. With two outs, Hanawahine singled up the middle to bring up Archuleta, who drove the 1-0 pitch off the wall for a triple, her fifth of the season, tying the game at three.
The Miners hit a leadoff double in the fifth with the runner moving to third on a grounder back to the circle, and a single to right gave UTEP the 4-3 lead and prompted a Lobo pitching change with Natalie Fritz entering to replace Guest.
An infield single and single to left field loaded the bases with a sacrifice fly to right producing a second run. UTEP added two more runs on a single down the left field line before the Lobos got out of the inning on a grounder to Emma Bramson at shortstop.
UNM put two runners on with two outs following a full count walk for Miracle McKenzie and Carithers reaching on a swinging strikeout with the catcher throwing the ball away on the throw to first to move both runners into scoring position. A fly ball to center left two more on, with UNM leaving a total of nine on in the game.
Fritz retired the side in order in the sixth with Bramson reaching on a throwing error to start the bottom of the inning, but a fly out to left and two strikeouts ended the sixth with the score holding at 7-3.
After a double play on a liner to McKenzie at first and fly out to right in the seventh, Allie Williams started the bottom of the inning on a single to center field, although the freshman outfielder was left on first as a strikeout, fly out and ground out ended the game.
Guest went 4.1 innings in the loss, allowing five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts, with Fritz throwing 2.2 and allowing two runs on four hits.
UNM resumes conference play in its final home series against Nevada Friday through Sunday.