ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos won by a run-rule and a shutout on Saturday, defeating Houston Christian in five innings 11-2 and shutting out Tarleton State 5-0.
Allie Williams led the Lobos at the plate between the two games, who had five hits and a .714 batting average to go with a team-high five RBI on the day that included a home run. Hayden Luderer finished with four RBI, Briana Williams had three RBI on the day and Estrella Rowe hit her first home run to finish the day with two RBI.
Caitlin Benningfield and McKenna Guest both earned wins with Benningfield throwing a complete-game shutout of the Texans and Guest going 4.0 innings in the run-rule with Alyssa Hensgen throwing an inning.
The Lobos had 20 hits on the day with four doubles, a triple and three home runs and drew a combined seven walks, while the pitching staff struck out seven and walked two.
GAME 1:
The Lobos put up five runs in the first inning against the Huskies, with B. Williams leading off the inning on a four-pitch walk and A. Williams plating the first runs of the game on a two-run home run to left field for her second home run of the season. After Miracle McKenzie drew a one-out walk, Gabrielle Briones hit an infield single with Luderer adding three more runs on a home run to the bleachers in right for her first home run of the season.
UNM batted around in the inning with five runs on three hits and four walks with the Lobos drawing six total in the game.
HCU got a run back in the top of the second on a ground-rule double, groundout to Jewels Hanawahine at second that moved the runner over and an infield single, and added a run in the top of the third on a leadoff double down the left-field line, a single to center field and a sacrifice fly.
The Lobos matched that with a sacrifice fly of their own after DeNae Vasquez-Dickson double to left and moved to third on an infield single by B. Williams, who beat the throw to first and stole second after noticing no one was covering the base. A. Williams flew out to right field to allow Vasquez-Dickson to tag before the inning came to an end.
UNM bookended its scoring with another five-run inning in the fourth to enter run-rule territory, again scoring five runs on three hits and drawing two walks.
McKenzie led off with a double to the gap in left center with Briones hitting a single to center to put runners on the corners. Luderer brought in the first run on a sacrifice fly to right, Rowe reached on a hit-by-pitch and Mya Pacheco walked to load the bases.
A fielding error by the second baseman scored another run and B. Williams hit it to the gap in left center to score three more runs for the 11-2 lead.
Needing three outs for the win, Alyssa Hensgen entered in the top of the fifth and recorded the first out on a grounder back to the circle and ended it with two strikeouts.
Luderer recorded a career-high four RBI in the game with B. Williams and A. Williams recording three RBI each.
GAME 2:
The Lobos scored two runs in the bottom of the third to break the scoreless game against the Texans with Vasquez-Dickson reaching on a fielding error to start the inning. A sac bunt by B. Williams moved her into scoring position with A. Williams following up with a single that got past the second baseman to score Vasquez-Dickson from second. Jessica DeLeon hit a single up the middle and A. Williams advanced to third on McKenzie’s flyout to right that was upheld after a TSU challenge. A single by Briones through the left side scored the second run before the inning came to an end with two left on.
After TSU had its first two batters reach on singles in the top of the fourth, Benningfield retired the next three Texans on a strikeout, a fielder’s choice and a foul out to Vasquez-Dickson in left.
The Lobos needed just two at-bats to double their lead with Pacheco leading off with a double to left center and moving to third on a throwing error. Rowe drove her in on a home run to right field for the 4-0 Lobo lead with the Lobos continuing to reach base in the inning.
Following a pitching change, Vasquez-Dickson welcomed the new Texan with a single to center, B. Williams reached on a fielder’s choice and later stole second and A. Williams singled to right to score B. Williams for the final run of the game.
While the Texans had leadoff runners reach in the fifth and sixth, Benningfield and the Lobo defense kept TSU off the board. In the top of the seventh, Benningfield retired the first batter, getting a piece of the ball hit back to the circle, deflecting it to Pacheco at second who threw to McKenzie at first in time for the out. An infield single put a runner on, but a groundout to Pacheco at second and a popup to Pacheco at second ended the game.
Rowe and A. Williams each accounted for two RBI with Williams going 3-4 at the plate, while Benningfield recorded her second complete game of her freshman campaign and her first solo shutout, but second overall.
The Lobos conclude the UNM Invitational with a final game against Houston Christian at 11:30 a.m., which will stream on the Mountain West Network.