UNM plays playoff tuneup
Lobo softball team gains split
The University of New Mexico soccer women clinched the home berth in the upcoming league tournament with a Friday night win. The Lobos will host San Diego State next Saturday for the league title.
Sunday’s 1 p.m. showdown with visiting Colorado State is the game in between.
UNM (8-1) is coming off a 3-1 win Friday night at the soccer complex over visiting Wyoming on Senior Night, and redshirt senior Gwen Maly led the way with two goals and an assist before a turnout listed at 714.
“I think anytime that you can win on Senior Night, it makes a win that much more special because you send six really amazing members of our program out the right way,” said UNM coach Heather Dyche.
Maly, a 5-foot-10 forward from Lake Forest, California, has eight goals in 2021, tied for ninth most for a Lobo in a season.
The Rams come in with a 2-3-1 record. Walk-up tickets can be sold, but no cash will be accepted, and UNM has been asking fans to buy tickets online in advance.
... New Mexico State, seeded fifth, is scheduled to play UT-Rio Grande Valley to open WAC tournament play in women’s soccer. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday at GCU Stadium.
The winner of Tuesday’s match will take on No. 1 seed Utah Valley. That game will be played at 4 p.m. Thursday.
All tournament games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
SOFTBALL: At Lobo softball field, beleaguered New Mexico ended a four-game losing streak in smashing fashion Saturday. But Nevada later spoiled what could have been a great day.
Senior shortstop Cameryn O’Grady homered twice and drove in five runs as the host Lobos routed Mountain West Conference foe Nevada 12-4 in five innings of the opener of a doubleheader.
Then in game two, Nevada erased a two-run deficit with three runs in the top of the seventh to edge the Lobos 8-7. The split leaves the Lobos at 3-27, and the two teams play again Sunday at noon in the rubber game.
In the opener, Peyton Robinson and Taryn Young both went 3-for-3, Young homering, in an 11-hit attack behind pitcher Emma Guindon (2-15).
... In Tucson, New Mexico State (18-18) dropped games against Team Mexico and Arizona by scores of 12-5 and 8-0, respectively, at the Bear Down Fiesta tournament.
BASEBALL: In Sacramento, Calif., New Mexico State fell 9-6 in the third matchup of a four-game Western Athletic Conference set. The two teams wrap up Sunday at 11 a.m.
Cal Villareal led the Aggie offense with two of their nine hits and drove in a run. NMSU starter Rorik Maltud (2-1) walked five and allowed six runs in 3 innings.
GOLF: The UNM women host the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, which begins Sunday with 36 holes and concludes Monday with 18 more at UNM Championship Golf Course. Also in the field are No. 22 Arizona, Colorado State, Denver, Grand Canyon, Kansas State, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Pepperdine, Washington, UNLV and Wyoming.
The New Mexico lineup is set to feature sophomore Napat “Jenny” Lertsadwattana, senior Caroline Jansson, sophomore Lauren Lehigh, freshman Myah McDonald and sophomore Chloé Lauer.
■ The New Mexico State men are in 15th place of 17 teams through two rounds at the Aggie Invitational.