In a tournament plagued by weather delays Friday night, the UNM softball team went 2-2 during the three-day Lobo Invitational this weekend at the UNM Softball Complex.
"I'm definitely not satisfied," head coach Ty Singleton said. "I'm encouraged by our growth, though. We are getting better and progressing. We played some very good teams this weekend and were in every game we played."
UNM opened the weekend with an 8-6 loss to Wichita State on Friday afternoon before Mother Nature set in.
"The weather this weekend wasn't the greatest for softball," Singleton said. "Our Friday night game against Texas Tech was rained out, so we had to make it up (Sunday). That's always tough to do."
On Saturday, the Lobos dropped a 3-2 decision to No. 22 Washington.
The Huskies, which finished third place at the Women's College World Series last season, scored six runs off of eight hits.
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Freshman pitcher Kyla Nelson said that considering the close score with nationally ranked Washington, UNM has a lot to look forward to this season.
"It's definitely a confidence booster," she said. "It shows us that we can hang with the best, and all we have to do is make the plays."
UNM defeated Missouri 6-4 in the nightcap Saturday.
Singleton, who spent four seasons as head coach of the Lady Tigers before coming to UNM last season, got the upper hand in a rematch against his former team.
"The athletes on that team at Missouri - you recruit them - you work with them. I care a lot about them," Singleton said. "It's bittersweet because I want to see that program be successful, but at the same time, when we do get the opportunity to face them, we definitely want to beat them. It was exciting to get that win."
The Lobos capped off the weekend with an 8-4 win over Texas Tech on Sunday.
"I think we played great," freshman shortstop Tianna George said. "It was nice to end the weekend with a win, and I'm pleased with the way the offense came around."
George was 3-for-4 from the plate against the Red Raiders with three hits, two RBIs and a home run.
Defensively, Singleton said he was happy with the way his pitchers performed on the weekend.
"Kelly (Ninemire) threw well, but she threw a lot this weekend," he said. "So, it was nice to see we can go to other pitchers for relief. Madelyn (Machac) showed signs of throwing the ball hard and making some good pitches, but she hasn't seen a lot of appearances this year. And I'm very pleased with the way that (Nelson) came in and closed the door today."
The Lobos are now 6-5 on the season.
Singleton said he expects to see more progression from his team this season.
"I think with a program that hasn't had a winning season in a number of years and the caliber of schedule we are playing, I'm pleased with our competitive attitude," he said. "We're getting better and better with every game. Hopefully, weather permitting, we can go on a winning streak next weekend and make it a real home-field advantage here for the Lobos."
