The Colorado State Rams used a crucial five-run fourth inning to beat the UNM softball team 6-3 in the second game of a doubleheader at Lobo Field Saturday.
With UNM leading 1-0, CSU got a leadoff single by Jennifer Mahoney over Lobo shortstop Ashley VanBoxmeer's head to start the fourth. Rams' first baseman Ricki Walker followed with a line drive shot over the left field fence that gave CSU a 2-1 lead.
"It felt good," Walker said of the home run. "It was long overdue."
One out later, the Rams started another rally when Brittany Burtner reached on an error by UNM second baseman Stephanie Kennedy. After consecutive singles, CSU loaded the bases and the Lobos brought in Amy Dumas to relieve Iraina Ogas on the mound.
"Everything kind of went downhill," Ogas said. "I hung a pitch, she took it and I got taken out, but Amy did a really good job of helping out the team."
Dumas struck out Katie Dean, but was unable to get out of the inning unscathed when she hit Steph Roberts with a pitch forcing in the Rams third run. CSU took advantage of another Lobo error when VanBoxmeer bobbled a grounder. The Rams capped off the inning when Mahoney walked, forcing in the fifth run for a 5-1 CSU lead.
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"Defensively we are much better than that," UNM head coach Kim Newbern said. "When that wasn't there, we struggled a little bit. I think we panicked. We beat ourselves a bit today."
In the bottom of the fourth, UNM got a run back when VanBoxmeer nailed a one-out double into the left field corner and came around to score on a single by first baseman Ashley Shartzer.
The Lobos missed a great scoring opportunity though, stranding runners on second and third when junior catcher Kim Korsak ended the threat by flying out to center.
CSU added a run in the top of the seventh when Walker nailed a double to left field that probably would have left the park had the winds not been howling. Walker came around to score on a RBI single by Burtner making it 6-2.
UNM got its third and final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh. Korsak led off the inning with a double into the left field gap. With one out, Elena Cranmer delivered a pinch-hit single to give the Lobos runners on first and third. Center fielder Kelly Glass stepped up and got on base with an infield single that scored Korsak to cut the deficit to 6-3. With the tying run at the plate, Kennedy and VanBoxmeer each lined out to the shortstop to end the game.
UNM got the first run of the game in the bottom of the first when Glass led off with a single and came around to score on a sacrifice bunt and two wild pitches for an early 1-0 lead.
The Lobos finished with three runs on eight hits and committed three errors. Ogas led the way offensively, delivering two hits in three at bats. The Rams finished with six runs on 10 hits and made one error. Walker supplied the offense with two doubles, a home run and two RBIs in the contest.
UNM lost the first game of the double header by a score of 1-0. CSU got the winning run in the top of the sixth when Mahoney delivered a two-out, RBI single that scored Roberts. Dumas pitched the whole game for the Lobos, giving up one run on four hits. She also struck out seven while walking just one.
The losses drop UNM to 16-26-1 overall and 1-5 in the Mountain West Conference while the Rams improved to 22-9, 3-4 MWC.
The Lobos are in action again this week when they take on Brigham Young University in a doubleheader at Lobo Field Thursday. The first game is scheduled to start a 1 p.m. with the second game starting shortly after.
