Lobos Fall in Series Finale to Wolf Pack

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— A Hayden Luderer home run in the bottom of the third was UNM’s sole run of Sunday’s series finale with Nevada with the Wolf Pack scoring four runs in the first inning in the 9-1, six-inning final.

After Nevada scored four to open the contest, the Lobos put two runners on in their first at-bats as Ashley Archuleta hit a leadoff double down the left field line with Miracle McKenzie drawing a one-out walk. A fielder’s choice put runners on the corners, however, a grounder to shortstop left them both stranded and the Lobos unable to cut into the deficit.

Nevada added two runs in the third on solo home runs to make it 6-0 with Luderer leading off the bottom of the inning with her second home run of the season, the fourth different Lobo to hit a home run in the series.  With the lineup turned over, Archuleta walked with McKenzie hitting the 1-0 pitch through the right side, and much like the first inning, a fielder’s choice put runners on the corner where they were left stranded.

A leadoff double by Jewels Hanawahine in the bottom of the fourth was thwarted by two fly outs to left and a ground out, with the score holding through the fifth inning. Nevada capitalized on three errors to score three runs to put the game in run-rule territory in the top of the sixth, which held as the final score.

UNM finished with four hits with three going for extra bases, while utilizing four pitchers. McKenna Guest got the start and was unable to get out of the first before Marina Tinari entered in relief and threw 2.1 innings. Brooke Umali went 2.1 innings as well, allowing one hit with one strikeout and one walk before Caprice Barela threw the final 1.0 inning.

The Lobos close out the conference schedule on the road at UNLV in a three-game series starting on Thursday.