Pitcher Lauren McCoy was the UNM softball team's saving grace against Colorado State University Saturday, helping the Lobos split a doubleheader at Lobo Field.
After the Lobos (7-18-1, 1-1 in the Mountain West Conference) received an 11-1 whipping in the first game, the second game proved to be a battle for UNM. But with some timely pitching, the Lobos grabbed a 2-1 win.
With UNM unable to generate any offense during the first three innings, McCoy kept the Rams (14-17, 1-1) offense at bay with strong pitching and excellent fielding. She finished with a complete game, allowing only one run.
The Lobos have struggled to generate any offense all season and Saturday was no different. CSU sophomore pitcher Megan Masser took advantage of UNM's indecisiveness at the plate. The Lobos battled, but could not make up their minds about which pitches to swing at.
UNM found a much-needed ray of hope in the fourth inning when junior Kelly Glass was able to reach base after a CSU error and freshman Krystal Mejia followed with a walk. Sophomore Kim Korsak was up next and hammered a pitch to deep center field, scoring Glass and forcing a rundown that helped Mejia score.
That would be it offensively for the Lobos; but with McCoy on the mound, the two-run lead proved enough for UNM to pull out the win despite a seventh-inning solo home run by CSU freshman Maren Christensen.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
McCoy said her success was spurred by the team's defense and her mental toughness.
"We've had a real rough start," she said. "We've had a lot of injuries, a lot of adversities, but we're coming back through and we're only going to get better."
Head coach Susan Craig said McCoy went into the game angry with herself for not doing well in the first game.
"I've told this team all along, when you're not getting consistent pitching, everybody has their security blanket taken away," Craig said. "So we don't know who's going to show up on the mound and when we get more consistent pitching then we'll be a much, much better team."
Craig added that the team needs to relax at the plate and stop pressing for hits. She said the seniors are putting too much pressure on themselves to get the big hits because they've been disappointed with their performance.
"They're trying too hard, and they're not getting up to bat and making it just an at bat," she said. "They're trying to hit a three-run homerun and it's all about relaxing. You got to have that feeling at the plate that you're going to be successful."
During the first game of the doubleheader, UNM took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. But, CSU pounded out 11 runs on 15 hits to get the win.
UNM's next game is Friday when it hits the road to take on the University of Utah.
