The UNM softball team didn’t have an affinity for defense, nor did Colorado State.
The Lobos smashed 17 hits — four long balls — en route to Saturday’s 13-7 win against CSU at Lobo Field.
Head coach Erica Beach said she expected an offensive battle against the Rams.
“That’s how they play the game,” she said. “They hit the ball well. We hit the ball well. It’s almost always going to be a high-scoring game.”
UNM took two games against CSU on April 16 by scores of 19-6 and 13-5. And for two innings, it looked like Colorado State would avenge those losses. The Rams jumped out to a 5-3 lead in the opening innings of Saturday’s contest.
“We were a little sloppy on defense,” Beach said. “I challenged them after two innings to step it up, to make the plays on defense and to score and score often.”
Beach’s pep talk worked.
The Lobos held the Rams scoreless in the top of the third and fourth innings. Meanwhile, UNM’s offense tacked on six runs in the that two-inning stretch.
First baseman Dani Castro, who was a 4-for-4 from the plate with a double and three runs, paced the Lobos’ offensive surge.
“Coach told us we needed to get our acts together,” Castro said.
That they did.
Catcher/designated hitter Jessica Garcia’s two-out, solo homer spiraled over the right-center fence and spurred UNM’s fourth-inning rally. Then, two batters later, shortstop Stefanie Carramusa sent the ball packing over the left-field fence for a two-run shot. UNM led 9-5 after four.
“Even in practice, we’ve been hitting bombs left and right,” Carramusa said. “Each and every one of us is hitting the ball solid. We have some lefties who are even getting some nice power on the ball — and that hasn’t happened all year. We’re all just hitting the daylights out of the ball right now.”
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Garcia hit another solo bomb, this time over straight-away centerfield, to leadoff the sixth inning. Then, pinch hitter Cassandra Kalapsa capped off the slugfest with a two-run shot of her own.
“The whole team is doing a good job of putting the bat to the ball,” Garcia said. “We’re hitting with a lot of confidence, and it makes for some pretty entertaining softball.”
UNM improved to 18-21 overall and 4-5 in Mountain West Conference action.
UNM will host Utah and BYU this weekend at Lobo Field, and Carramusa said the team knows it’s critical to finish the season decisively.
“Our goal at this point in the season is to win out,” she said. “We know we can compete with anyone, and every game from here on out is going to be a dog fight.”
