The University of New Mexico Softball team dropped the final two games to San Jose State as the Spartans completed the sweep to open their new softball field.
Game One
The New Mexico softball team blew a late 1-0 on Saturday against San Jose State in the second game of the series, the Spartans won 2-1 on a walk off in the bottom of the seventh.
Krissy Fortner got the start for the Lobos and pitched a complete game, six and a third innings, allowing three hits, two runs, one earned, with one strikeout. It was Fortner’s first complete game of the season.
The Lobos took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, as senior Chelsea Johnson and freshman Andrea Howard both reached base safely after hitting singles. A long flyout from D’Andra DeFlora advanced both runners into scoring position. Monica Salas hit a single up the middle that brought Johnson around to score, Howard attempted to score also but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
Fortner appeared to be cruising, recording 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth, before the Spartans struck back in the seventh.
She allowed a runner to reach second base for the Spartans with one out, when Madison Aurin stepped to the plate and took the second pitch she saw deep to center field for the walk off home run.
Game Two
The Lobos were unable to avoid the series sweep in Sunday’s series finale, as the Spartans took the finale 3-1. The Lobos outhit the Spartans for the second time in the series, but once again were unable to turn those hits into runs.
Lobos starter Jensen Main and her SJSU counterpart Aurin, Saturday’s walk off hero, were lights out through the first two and a half innings, as neither allowed a hit.
SJSU's Alyssa Avila broke up Main’s no hitter with one out in third and a runner on first following a walk. Main would load the bases, but was able to get out of the inning with no runs.
In the fourth, the Spartans broke the scoreless tie as Aurin singled to lead off the inning, and designated player Jacey Phipps followed with an inside-the-park home run to open up a 2-0 lead.
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In the bottom of the fifth, SJSU added a third run to their tally on an error with two outs from Cameryn O’Grady on a throw to first pulled Andrea Howard off the bag and prevented the Lobos from getting the final out and scored a runner from third.
In the sixth inning, the Lobos got on the board after a two out double from Monica Salas drove D'Andra DeFlora home from third to make the game 3-1.
A ground out followed and stranded two runners on base for the Lobos and ended UNM’s hopes of adding more.
Cameron Goeldner is a sports beat reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s soccer, softball and the Albuquerque Isotopes, but also contributes content for baseball, basketball, football and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @goeldfinger.
