With four road losses in Austin, Texas during the weekend, the softball team dropped out of the top 25 for the second time this season, according to national polls released Tuesday.
But head coach Erica Beach said her team — which was ranked No. 25 in last week’s USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll — doesn’t need some number next to its name to prove that it’s good.
“We’re not going to worry about numbers or anything like that,” Beach said. “We played hard this weekend, and I think we proved that we can play with anyone in the country. At the end of the season, it’s the best teams who continue playing. If you win ball games, you’ll be in the (Women’s College) World Series. Rankings don’t matter.”
The Lobos dropped a 2-1 decision in extra innings to No. 6 University of Texas on Friday. UNM then lost 7-3 and 5-0 to the Longhorns on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The Lobos also fell 2-1 to a hard-hitting Tulsa team on Saturday, racking up four losses on the weekend and sinking their record to 22-10 for the season.
Beach said her team welcomed the challenge, and if she wanted to pad her team’s record with give-me wins, she could have scheduled other teams to face off against.
“The competition was definitely what we wanted,” junior third baseman Stefanie Carramusa said. “We were ready to play, and we came out stronger than anyone thought that we would. … We definitely belonged on the field with (Texas).”
The Lobos’ offense showed why it’s ranked No. 1 nationally in home runs per game and No. 3 in slugging percentage, slamming four long balls over the weekend against arguably one of the best pitching staffs in college softball. Carramusa had two of them, bringing her season total up to 14.
Beach said UNM’s bats have been consistent all season long.
“Our offense is a major point of pride for our team,” Beach said. “It’s been really fun to watch. To see so many people in our lineup be successful has been great. It’s nice to know that any part of the lineup can produce at any given time.”
But Beach said it was UNM’s pitching that really turned some heads in Austin.
Freshman pitcher Carrie Sheehan threw five innings of scoreless balls against the Longhorns on Friday. Junior pitcher Kari Gutierrez — who made her return from elbow surgery — pitched four shutout innings in Sunday’s loss.
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“Our pitching definitely turned it up a notch this weekend,” Beach said. “Now that our pitching and defense are both coming along, it’s nice that we are going to be firing on all cylinders when we get to conference play.”
But before Mountain West action begins in two weeks, the Lobos travel to California State-Northridge in a make-up game that was originally scheduled for March 15.
“The weather in California was pretty nasty a couple of weekends ago, and we knew we were going to be rained out,” Beach said. “In order to save ourselves some wasted travel, we decided to move the games to this weekend.”
Beach said she’s confident in her team’s chances this weekend — weather permitting, of course.
“This will be a good match-up for us,” Beach said. “We have the talent to beat (Cal State-Northride) as long as we show up and play our game. If we play to our level, we should come away with two wins.”
Softball
California State-Northridge
Sunday
Northridge, Calif.
Noon and 2 p.m.
