WACO, Texas— The Lobos split the second day of the Getterman Classic, dropping their first game against No. 22/24 Mississippi State 8-1 before responding with a complete-game 3-0 shutout of Northwestern State.
Briana Williams, Jessica DeLeon and Denae Vasquez-Dickson all registered two hits between the two games, the first collegiate hit for Williams, as well as a double and a walk that led to a RBI for DeLeon. Allie Williams led the Lobos with two RBI with Ella Dawson accounting for the fourth RBI on the day.
In the circle, McKenna Guest threw her first complete game and first shutout of the season against Northwestern State for her sixth career shutout and the 19th complete game as a Lobo.
GAME 1: MISSISSIPPI STATE
The Bulldogs scored four runs in the first inning, leading off the game with a home run to right and a double down the left-field line before a fly out to Hayden Luderer in center recorded the first out. Two walks loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly to Vasquez-Dickson in left added a second run. A walk loaded the bases back up with MSU adding two more runs on a single up the middle, prompting the Lobos to go to the bullpen with Marina Tinari entering in relief of Caprice Barela. A grounder back to Tinari got the Lobos out of the inning with the bases left loaded.
After the Lobos were retired in order in the bottom of the first, MSU had its first two hitters reach on singles to right field. The Bulldogs loaded the bases on a fielding error with Tinari getting the first out on a strikeout, a grounder to Gabrielle Briones at shortstop plated another run before a fly out to Vasquez-Dickson in left ended the inning.
For the second straight game, DeLeon registered UNM’s first hit of the game, hitting a single that bounced off the wall in right field, but was left standing on first after two strikeouts and a popup to second ended the inning.
Following a scoreless third, MSU added a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth, with the Lobos getting on the board in the bottom of the sixth to extend the game.
- Williams beat out a throw to first for an infield single and her first collegiate hit with Vasquez-Dickson following suit with an infield single to put both runners on. A wild pitch advanced both Lobos into scoring position with Dawson hitting a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in B. Williams and allowed Vasquez-Dickson to tag to third. A popup to second stranded a Lobo in scoring position.
Entering in relief in the sixth inning for her first collegiate appearance, Arianna Capek retired the side in order in the seventh for the final score. Capek didn’t allow a hit in 1.2 innings of relief and also recorded her first strikeout.
Tinari threw a career-high 4.2 innings of relief with four strikeouts to match her career high as a Lobo.
GAME 2: NORTHWESTERN STATE
The Lobos stayed on the field to close out the day with Northwestern State with all three runs of the game coming in the third inning.
UNM had a chance to score in the first inning after B. Williams stole second and slid safely into third on a throwing error by the NSU catcher, however a fly out to left ended the opportunity and kept the Lobos off the board.
Guest struck out three Lady Demons and retired five consecutive batters in the first two innings to keep the game scoreless through two before the Lobos broke the tie.
UNM moved station to station in the third inning to get on the board with Jewels Hanawahine starting off the inning with a walk, Vasquez-Dickson and B. Williams reaching base on consecutive hits to the outfield to load the bases and DeLeon walking on four pitches to score a run. A two-out single to left field by A. Williams drove in Vasquez-Dickson and B. Williams to give UNM the 3-0 lead before the inning came to an end with two left on.
The Lobo defense retired the side in order in the bottom of the third with Guest accounting for two of the outs on ground balls back to the circle and made two defensive web gems in the bottom of the fourth on a diving catch in shallow left by Gabrielle Briones and Estrella Rowe catching a liner to third. A double put a NSU runner in scoring position but a foul out to Miracle McKenzie at first ended the inning.
DeLeon recorded UNM’s first extra-base hit of the season on a two-out double to right in the fifth with pinch runner Grace Rana left stranded on a strikeout.
NSU threatened in the bottom of the fifth as its two first batters reached base on a hit-by-pitch and single to center, but a liner to Guest following a nine-pitch at-bat followed by a popup to Briones at short and a groundout to Rowe at third left thwarted the chance.
Each team left a runner on in the sixth and holding a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Guest struck out her fourth hitter for the second out and Vasquez-Dickson closed the game on a fly ball to left.
UNM closes out its opening weekend with two games on Sunday, starting off with Wichita State at 8 a.m. MT followed immediately after with another game against Northwestern State at 10:30 a.m. MT. Both games will be on ESPN+.