ABILENE, Texas— Following season highs in hits and runs in game two Friday, the Lobo bats carried over to Saturday’s series finale at Abilene Christian with New Mexico needing six innings to get the win in a 9-1 run-rule.
Miracle McKenzie led the Lobos behind a 3-4 outing at the plate that included two home runs and accounted for a career-high five RBI, extending her hitting streak to six games. Saturday marked the second game in the series with multiple home runs, with Ella Dawson hitting a pinch hit home run for her first of the season and the third of the game.
In the circle, freshman Caitlin Benningfield threw her first complete game, striking out a season-high eight Wildcats, striking out two in each of the first three innings.
UNM had a season-best five leadoff batters reach and scored multiple runs in three of the innings.
Briana Williams led off the game with a walk, the third game the Lobos have led off with a walk and the second time for the freshman. Following a bloop single from Allie Williams, Jessica DeLeon hit a grounder to first with the Wildcat trying to get the lead runner and throwing it away, allowing B. Williams to score. Consecutive walks for Gabrielle Briones and Melania Macias scored the second run with UNM adding a third on a sac fly to left from Hayden Luderer that allowed DeLeon to tag from third for the early 3-0 lead.
ACU got a run back on a one-out double and a single to the outfield with Benningfield striking out her second batter of the inning to leave two on in scoring position.
The Lobo pitcher retired the side in order in the second which included two swinging strikeouts and retired five consecutive hitters in the first three innings, striking out four of the five batters she faced, and recorded five strikeouts in the first three innings.
After a double play ended the fourth inning on a liner to MiaLani Ocampo at second and a throw to McKenzie at first, the Lobos added to their lead with two runs on two hits. DeLeon led off with a single to right with McKenzie hitting the 2-0 pitch over the wall in left center.
Benningfield and the Lobo defense worked around a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth and turned in their fourth inning of scoring four runs in the series in the sixth.
Dawson led off the inning with a home run off the scoreboard in left and two at-bats later, Marina Tinari drew a pinch-hit walk with B. Williams reentering to run. B. Williams stole second and with two outs, DeLeon drew a four-pitch walk with B. Williams taking third on a wild pitch during the at-bat to put runners on the corners. McKenzie cleared the bases for her second home run of the game and put the game in run-rule territory.
A groundout to Estrella Rowe at third followed by Benningfield’s final strikeout of the game gave UNM two quick outs, with ACU having its next two batters reach on infield singles. However, a groundout to Ocampo at second ended the game for UNM’s first run-rule win of the season.
The Lobos return home to host the UNM Invitational starting on Friday, Feb. 27.