ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Behind eight runs in the first two innings and three home runs in Thursday’s game against Utah State, the Lobos defeated the Aggies 12-6 to earn their 11th conference win and a spot in the Mountain West Softball Championship.
Thursday marked the eighth game that UNM has hit three home runs in a game and the 13th game with two or more home runs with the Lobos 13-0 in such games.
The Lobos finished with 11 hits, with DeNae Vasquez-Dickson going 3-5 with a double and solo home run. Allie Williams 2-2 with a two-run home run and two walks, and Jessica DeLeon going 2-3 with a double and home run, finishing with a team-high three RBI. Miracle McKenzie went 2-2 with a double and two walks.
Of UNM’s 11 hits, UNM hit three doubles and three home runs and drew a season-high right walks in the game with Williams and McKenzie each drawing two walks.
Additionally, with the three home runs, the Lobos have 48 on the season, the second-most home runs in a season in program history (UNM hit 95 in 2012).
In the circle, starter McKenna Guest went 3.2 innings with two strikeouts before Caitlin Benningfield finished the game with six strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
After a Gabrielle Briones double play ended the top of the first inning, the Lobos scored four runs on one hit and four consecutive walks, all coming with two outs.
Williams walked on four pitches and took second on a passed ball before DeLeon walked following a full count with Williams taking third on another passed ball. McKenzie loaded the bases with a walk and Melanie Macias brought in the first run on a walk following four pitches.
Hayden Luderer extended the lead on a single up the middle with the Aggie centerfielder misplaying the ball and it going to the wall to clear the bases with Luderer ending up on third base.
USU scored its first run in the top of the second on a double, wild pitch and sacrifice fly, with the Lobos answering with four more runs on five hits in the home half powered by back-to-back home runs.
Vasquez-Dickson hit a one-out double to the gap in right center with the outfielder taking third on the next at-bat on a wild pitch. A Briones hit through the left side allowed Vasquez-Dickson to score and Williams drove the second pitch of her at-bat over the fence in center field for the two-run home run. Following a pitching change, DeLeon made it consecutive home runs on a home run to left center, the second game this season hitting consecutive home runs (New Mexico State on April 21). The Lobos had two more runners reach on a McKenzie single and Luderer walk before a groundout to second ended the inning with the Lobos leading 8-1.
Of note, it marked the 17th game that UNM has scored more than four runs in an inning and the fifth game scoring four or more runs multiple times in the same game.
UNM’s defense kept USU off the board in the third after the Aggies loaded the bases with one out, with a popup to Briones at shortstop and a fly ball to center field with Luderer providing a game-changing play and making a leaping grab to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.
Vasquez-Dickson added to the lead with a one-out solo home run before the Aggies scored three runs on two home runs in the fourth.
The Lobos got a run back after McKenzie led off the inning with a double to the gap in right center with Luderer grounding out to shortstop for the second out with McKenzie moving to third on the play. A wild pitch allowed McKenzie to score.
USU had a chance to cut into the Lobo lead in the fifth inning, again loading the bases as the first three batters reached, but the Lobo defense limited it to one run on a grounder to Estrella Rowe at third, with the play made at first and the runner from third scoring. Benningfield struck out the next two Aggies, both swinging, to leave two runners in scoring position.
The scoring continued for the Lobos as Vasquez-Dickson reached on a one-out single up the middle and Williams hit a two-out single through the left side. DeLeon brought both runners in on a double to left center, and following another pitching change, McKenzie walked on four pitches. A strikeout ended the inning with two Lobos left on.
Benningfield struck out the side in the top of the sixth with the bottom of the sixth the only inning in the game in which the Lobos didn’t score a run.
The Aggies added a final run in the top of the seventh on a single down the left field line, a fielder’s choice for the first out with the Lobos getting the runner at second, a groundout to Briones at short for the second out and a single up the middle that scored the runner from second. Benningfield closed the game with a final strikeout.
With the win, Benningfield picks up her 10th win of the season and adds to her season strikeouts with 113 on the season.
Game two of the series is set for Friday at 2 p.m. MT.