After dismantling CSU 15-4 on Saturday, the UNM softball team took the field looking to replicate the success.
Coming off a day accented by 13 hits, Sunday was a different story but resulted in the same ending - a 4-1 Lobo victory.
UNM head coach Ty Singleton said Sunday's victory boosted the Lobos' chances at winning the Mountain West Conference
"We can continue to control our own destiny," he said. "If we can continue to win ball games, we can still win conference - it's not dependant on someone else (losing) yet."
After two scoreless innings, CSU was first to get on the board, as Allison Majam recorded a sacrifice-fly to score the runner.
The Lobos countered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth. After Gabriella Parra was walked to lead off the inning, Katie Gilmore singled to get on base. From there, Kimberly Holyfield hit a dribbler down the third-base line. But the play was not over as Holyfield, aided by two errors on CSU's first and third baseman, ended up scoring.
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The Lobos tacked on one more in the fifth, making it 4-1.
With the sweep over the Rams, the Lobos are 20-14 overall and 4-2 in the MWC.
At this time of year, the Lobos look to be contenders. They are currently in third place in the MWC, with BYU perched atop the conference and Utah holding down second place.
But unlike Saturday's game, Sunday's was all about the pitching.
Madelyn Machac threw six strong innings while senior Kelly Ninemire made an entrance in the bottom of the seventh and sealed the deal for the Lobos.
Singleton said Machac and Ninemire complement each other well.
"When (Machac) can come in and get ahead of hitters and get people out, that helps Kelly," he said. "And it was nice to see Kelly come in and look really strong and poised."
Ninemire, who pitched five innings in Saturday's win, said having a stable pitcher like Machac helps to ease the day-to-day pressure.
"It's huge, since we're so different," she said. "She throws harder. I throw more off my ball movement. But we make each other better."
Machac, a freshman, said Ninemire is a mentor.
"They call us - the freshmen, Kyla Nelson and me - her baby-birds," she said. "We follow her around a lot. She is a good person to look up to."
