SAN JOSE, Calif.— Four runs scored by San José State in the first inning proved to be the difference as New Mexico lost 8-2 on Friday.
The Lobos finished with five hits, two from Jessica DeLeon, who was also responsible for one of the Lobo RBI. Miracle McKenzie hit a sacrifice fly as part of the two-run sixth inning for the other RBI, and Allie Williams hit her 15th double of the season to put two runners in scoring position in the inning to set up the runs.
Three walks in the bottom of the first, all following full counts, set up the Spartans to score four runs on two hits. The Lobos almost limited the damage to one run after Caitlin Benningfield got the second out on a swinging strikeout, but a single to center scored two runs and a grounder to shortstop with the Lobo infielder throwing to the wrong base allowed another run to score before a second Benningfield strikeout ended the inning.
DeLeon provided UNM’s first hit to start the second with a single to left, but the Lobos were unable to build on it with a foul out, strikeout and groundout leaving her stranded.
The Lobos evaded any more runs in the bottom of the second after the Spartans had two runners reach, with a groundout to Estrella Rowe at third ending the inning.
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson reached on a two-out single to center field in the third before the inning came to an end with neither team having a runner reach in the bottom of the third and top of the fourth.
Like in the second inning, the Lobos had their leadoff batter reach in the fifth as Melanie Macias singled to left field, but two fielder’s choices on the next two at-bats and a groundout to second ended the chance. Of note, the Lobos challenged to play at first on the last play of the inning, but the out called stood to end the inning.
SJSU added to the Lobo deficit in the bottom of the fifth, scoring a run on three hits with the Lobos getting on the board in the top of the sixth with two runs on two hits.
The top of the Lobo lineup accounted for the runs as Vasquez-Dickson drew a walk to start the inning and Williams doubled down the left field line to put two Lobos in scoring position. DeLeon drove the first pitch of her at-bat through the left side of the infield to score Vasquez-Dickson and move Williams to third and McKenzie hit a sac fly that allowed Williams to tag and score. Macias kept the inning going, battling and fouling off 10 consecutive pitches before drawing a walk on a 16-pitch at-bat, but a strikeout prevented the Lobos from narrowing the deficit any further with two left on.
SJSU scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth for the final runs of the game as the Lobos went down in order in the top of the seventh for the final score.
Benningfield threw her seventh complete game of the season, striking out three and walking four on a season-high 144 pitches.
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. MT on the Mountain West Network.