MOBILE, Ala.— The Lobos responded to a 4-0 loss to No. 12 Mississippi State in the first game Saturday at the Jaguar Classic with an emphatic 16-1 run-rule win over host South Alabama.
UNM’s 16 runs were a season high with the 14 hits the second most this season, and the three home runs tied the season high and was the third time this season hitting three home runs in a game.
Freshman Caitlin Benningfield controlled the circle, allowing just one hit, which came with one out in the bottom of the fourth, and one free pass on a walk. Benningfield also delivered at the plate, hitting sixth in the lineup and went 2-4 with a three-run home run and finished with a season-high four RBI.
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson led the Lobos with a perfect 4-4 performance behind two doubles and produced two RBI while also recording two stolen bases. As a team, the Lobos had a season-high three stolen bases with Briana Williams stealing a base for her eighth of the year.
Allie Williams hit her fourth home run and Miracle McKenzie her sixth home run of the season, with both sophomores accounting for three RBI in the game.
After leaving the bases loaded in the top of the first, the Lobos exploded for seven runs behind two home runs in the second inning, all with two outs. The first two Lobos struck out to start the inning with Briana Williams reaching on a throwing error by the USA third baseman. B. Williams stole second during A. Williams’ at-bat, with the right fielder sending the 2-2 pitch over the wall in left to put the Lobos on the board.
Vasquez-Dickson kept the inning going with an infield single and McKenzie brought her around on a double to left field for the 3-0 Lobo lead. Jessica DeLeon singled up the middle with Gabrielle Briones following with a single to right field to score McKenzie from third and on the first pitch of her at-bat, Benningfield hit a three-run home run to left for her first collegiate home run. The inning came to an end on a foul out to first, but not before the Lobos scored seven runs on six hits, all coming with two outs and sent 10 batters to the plate.
The Lobos exceeded the second-inning production with nine runs on seven hits in the fourth inning with Vasquez-Dickson opening the inning with a single to left and stealing second. McKenzie walked and with one out, Briones laid down a bunt to load the bases. Benningifield added to the lead with an infield single to score Vasquez-Dickson and pinch hitter Melanie Macias brought in McKenzie on a sacrifice fly to left. Estrella Rowe kept the inning going reaching on a hit-by-pitch on the first pitch of her at-bat to re-load the bases and pinch hitter Ella Dawson drove the 0-2 pitch back up the middle to center, scoring both Benningfield and Briones.
A pitching change didn’t change UNM’s success at the plate as A. Williams greeted the new Jaguar pitcher with a single to left to score Rowe and Vasquez-Dickson cleared the bases with a double to the gap in left center. With Vasquez-Dickson on third after stealing third, McKenzie scored the final two runs of the inning on a home run to center.
Of the nine runs in the inning, seven were scored with two outs with four of the seven hits coming with two outs.
Benningfield retired the first 10 batters she faced with South Alabama getting its first and only hit on a triple to the corner in right field with one out in the fourth. A walk put runners on the corners with a sacrifice fly bringing in a run. However, Benningfield got out of the inning on a strikeout, her second of the game.
The Lobos had a chance to add to their lead in the fifth as Briones led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch, moving all the way to third on a sac bunt by Hayden Luderer and a passed ball, but a groundout to short left her on third.
Needing just three outs to get the run-rule victory, McKenna Guest entered in the circle to start the bottom of the fifth and struck out the final two Jaguar batters.
Of UNM’s 14 hits in the game, six went for extra bases and seven different Lobos contributed with five finishing with multiple hits.
GAME 1
Facing No. 12 Mississippi State for the second time in as many days, the Bulldogs scored two runs in the bottom of the first and added two runs in the fifth for the 4-0 final score.
UNM had runners reach in the second inning with McKenzie hitting a single to right and Rowe hitting it back up the middle for a two-out single with the Lobos unable to bring in a run.
The Lobos finished with three hits, all singles, with A. Williams hitting a single in the fourth. UNM left four runners on base with McKenzie the final Lobo to reach on a walk in the seventh.
Freshman Alyssa Hensgen got her first start in the circle, striking out two including the first batter she faced in 1.2 innings. Marina Tinari threw 3.1 innings of relief with two strikeouts of her own with Arianna Capek throwing the final 1.0 inning and not allowing a hit.
UNM closes out the Jaguar Classic against Samford on Sunday at 9 a.m. MT.