UNM bullpen shuts down Gonzaga late for second win
SURPRISE, Ariz. — The University of New Mexico’s bullpen shut out Gonzaga over 5⅔ innings and helped lead the Lobos to a 6-4 win on Sunday night at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz.
A total of three arms emerged from the bullpen for the Lobos (2-1) with Kenneth Waller, Chad Smith and Malachi Emond all pitching at least one full inning.
As a team, the Lobos totaled 11 hits, giving them double-digit hits in consecutive games. Connor Mang led UNM, going 3 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs. Hayden Schilling went 3 for 4 with one RBI.
The Lobos broke away from a 4-4 tie through four innings with a run in the fifth and another in the seventh.
Smith entered in the sixth inning. He struck out the first man he faced, but then saw the bases get loaded on a fielding
error and a single up the middle. With the game potentially hanging in the balance, Smith induced a ground ball back to himself on the mound where he then initiated a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning. NEW MEXICO STATE 16, TEXAS SOUTHERN 3: In Las Cruces, New Mexico State University completed a sweep of visiting Texas Southern in seven innings with a run-rule win to close out the fourgame series on Sunday.
It was the fourth straight game that the Aggies (4-0) scored double-digit runs. NMSU outscored Texas Southern 98-19 in the four games, averaging 24.5 runs per game.
The Aggies produced 15 hits on Sunday. Tristan Peterson provided plenty of highlgihts with a 3-for-4 day that included two runs and seven RBI.
Nick Gonzalez went 3 for 5 with one home run and five RBI.
Chance Hroch picked up his first win of the season after tossing five innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out six.
Peterson hit two home runs in the sixth inning, marking the first time an Aggie had two home runs in the same inning since Tristen Carranza did so at New Mexico on May 2, 2017.
Softball
TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of New Mexico softball team was edged, 2-1, in extra innings by South Florida despite a dazzling effort from freshman pitcher Kennedy Ferguson at the Hillenbrand Invitational on Sunday.
Ferguson pitched a complete game, going 7⅓ innings and giving up two runs, neither of them earned, on six hits. The righthander recorded a season-high six strikeouts while only walking two hitters on a total of 31 batters faced.
Cameryn O’Grady’s double led to a run in the top of the sixth inning. However, down to their final three outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulls tallied the equalizer to extend the game.
UNM (3-5) had four hits in the contest, only one of them going for extra bases on O’Grady’s double that led to the lone Lobo run. D’Andra DeFlora, Monica Salas and Maggie Buckholz each posted a single in the game for the other hits.
USF (4-6) took advantage in the bottom of the eighth, using a sacrifice bunt to advance its runner on second. Bethaney Keen brought in the winning run on the next at-bat with a hit to center field.
The Lobos are now off to Hawaii for the Hawaii Invitational. They will play a single game against Hawaii on Wednesday at 9 p.m. MT before beginning the fourgame tournament against DePaul on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. MT.
In Las Cruces, New Mexico State closed out the Troy Cox Classic with a victory over Bradley at the NM State Softball Complex.
The Aggies held off Bradley to earn the win. Kayla Green picked up the win in the circle while Samaria Diaz earned the save for the Aggies (7-2).
Kelsey Horton and Kayla Bowen helped NMSU to a 3-1 lead after one inning. Horton belted a solo home run over the right-field fence.
Bowen later singled to left field with the bases loaded, bringing home two runners.
Horton, Victoria Castro and Mya Felder had two hits each.
Horton went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Castro went 2 for 3 with three runs scored.
Felder finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBI.