The UNM softball team, 9-23, is in the midst of an 11-game losing streak and still has problems with inconsistency in its pitching.
Following this trend, the Lobos were swept by Texas State over the weekend, losing two on Saturday, 9-8 and 4-1.
Despite the two losses, the Lobos seemed to come out re-energized on Sunday, but fell 8-4 in the third game of the series.
UNM will open its conference season against Utah on Thursday.
Lobo Samantha Hughes said she hopes to turn the season around.
"We are going to forget about the record we have going into conference," she said. "We're just going to start over and pretend it's a new season."
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Hughes has been the only bright spot on the Lobos' roster.
Heading into the weekend, Hughes was hitting .412 on the season and has provided some of the only consistency the Lobos have managed.
Even though she was only a combined 4-of-13 in the Lobos' three games, she provided the Lobos' only fireworks against the Bobcats.
In Saturday's doubleheader, Hughes had a grand slam and followed up with a two-run home run on Sunday that pulled the Lobos within four runs, 8-4.
With the bases loaded, Hughes stepped to the plate. Bobcats pitcher Elizabeth Dennis threw the ball in the center of the strike zone. Hughes smacked the ball out of the park and over the right-field fence, pulling the Lobos within one, 9-8. But that's where the Lobos peaked, and they were unable to get another run across the plate.
Like a bad case of déjÖ vu for Texas State, Bobcats pitcher Chandler Hall tossed a ball in the heart of the strike zone. Hughes, once again, beamed it over the fence, breathing some life into UNM. Still, it wasn't enough.
But Hughes isn't troubled that the Lobos are struggling.
"I'm always thinking about the positive outcomes instead of the negative ones," she said.
It's paid off for her.
