Feb. 27, 2013

New Mexico Lobos Softball - @ San Diego Classic I; March 1-3

San Diego Classic I Tournament Central (links to live stats)
Friday, March 1: Lobos vs. Utah State, 3 p.m. MT | Lobos vs. San Diego, 8 p.m. MT
Saturday, March 2: Lobos vs. BYU, 10 a.m. MT | Lobos vs. LBSU, 12:30 p.m. MT
Sunday, March 3: Lobos vs. No. 10/12 UCLA, 12:30 p.m. MT
GoLobos.com:Box scores and recaps

New Mexico Softball Weekly Notes: @ San Diego Classic I, March 1-3

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The University of New Mexico softball team heads west this weekend to improve on its 9-9 record while participating in the San Diego Classic I, hosted by San Diego State and the University of San Diego.

The Lobos will play five games while in sunny California starting with two on Friday; a 3 p.m. MT contest with Utah State (0-15) and an 8 p.m. MT matchup with San Diego (6-6).

New Mexico also has two games on Saturday, facing BYU (5-10) at 10 a.m. MT, and Long Beach State (7-6) at 12:30 p.m. MT.

UNM closes the weekend at 12:30 p.m. MT on Sunday with No. 10/12 UCLA (13-2).

"We feel like we're finally coming together these last couple of weekends of play," head coach Erica Beach said.

The Lobos have won nine of their last 11 games.

"It will be a fun weekend as a lot of our players (nine) are from California and their families will be there cheering us on," Beach continued. "We're looking to compete and to continue to build our team identity, which is using all aspects of the game -- power hitting, slapping and bunting, and creative base running to put pressure on opponent's defense."

No. 10/12 UCLA will be the third nationally-ranked team the Lobos play this season as they faced then-No. 4 Arizona State and then No. 2 Oklahoma in their opening weekend at the Kajikawa Classic.

Six Bruins bat .316 or better and Stephany LaRosa leads the squad with a .419 average. B.B. Bates, however, is the Bruins' power hitter as she has 11 of the team's 31 home runs, and 27 RBI in just 15 games. UCLA has outscored its opponents 99-38.

"It's nothing new to us to be playing a top-ranked team," Beach said. "Our pitching is going to be really key in that game."

LOBO SOFTBALL NOTES

Series history vs. New Mexico 
Utah State: UNM leads, 17-14 (last meeting, 2/18/01 - UNM won, 5-4)
San Diego: UNM leads, 2-0 (last meeting, 3/27/92 - UNM won, 2-0)
BYU: BYU leads, 38-13 (last meeting, 5/7/11 -- UNM won, 3-2)
Long Beach State: Long Beach St. leads, 5-0 (last meeting, 3/19/08 -- LBS won, 10-2)
#10/12 UCLA:UCLA leads, 7-1 (last meeting, 2/10/07 - UNM won, 13-1)

SCOUTING REPORT - SAN DIEGO CLASSIC I
-Utah State looks for its first win of the season at the San Diego Classic I as the Aggies are 0-15. Kassandra Uchida leads the squad at the plate and is the only player in double digits for hits with 12 in 38 at-bats (.316 avg.). Mandy Harmon has made 12 appearances and has tossed 38.1 innings this season. She carries a 6.94 ERA and an 0-10 mark.

-San Diego has a 6-6 mark and is coming off a 3-2 weekend at the Amy S. Harrison Classic hosted by UC Riverside. The Torreros got a win over Weber State and split games with UC Riverside and Boise State. As a team, USD bats .264 and Lauren Tomey has a team-high .400 average at the plate, having recorded 16 hits in 40 at-bats. Cassidy Coleman has made a team-high seven appearances in the circle and carries a 3-3 record and a 1.64 ERA. In 42.2 innings pitched, she's allowed 31 hits and 10 earned runs while walking 18 and striking out 50.

-BYU, a former Mountain West member, is off to a 5-10 start and had a 1-4 weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif., picking up a win over UNLV and dropping games to No. 11 LSU, Oklahoma State, Northwestern and UC Santa Barbara. Gordy Bravo leads the Cougars offensively with a .476 average. Katie Manuma bats .283 but has a team-high 15 RBIs thanks to three home runs. Hannah Howell has logged 57.1 innings in the circle and carries a 3.42 ERA and a 2-6 record. She's allowed 69 hits and 28 earned runs while walking 18 and striking out 46.

-Long Beach State is 7-6 in 2013 so far and is fresh off a 3-2 weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. The 49ers opened the weekend with back-to-back losses to Tennessee and Arizona before winning their final three against Oklahoma State, UNLV and Syracuse. Hannah De Gaetano leads LBSU with a .356 average. Karli Sandoval boasts the next-best average with a .314 and has a team-high five home runs. In the circle, Erin JonesWesley is 4-4 with a 3.92 ERA. In 44.2 innings pitched, she's allowed 43 hits, 25 earned runs while walking 25 and fanning 59.

-No. 10/12 UCLA has two losses so far this season in 15 games. The most recent mar on their slate is an 11-5 loss to Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 26. The other is from Texas A&M -- a 7-6 loss in eight innings on Feb. 10. Like BYU and Long Beach State, the Bruins were at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif., last weekend and topped Tennessee, Maryland, Oklahoma State, LSU and Nevada. UCLA has a game on Feb. 26 with Cal State Fullerton. Six Bruins bat .316 or better and Stephany LaRosa leads the squad with a .419 average. B.B. Bates, however, is the Bruins' power hitter as she has 11 of the team's 31 home runs, and 27 RBI in just 15 games. UCLA has outscored its opponents 99-38. The pitching staff has an ERA of 2.14. Ally Carda boasts an 8-1 record and a 2.24 ERA. In 50 innings pitched, she's allowed 40 hits, 16 earned runs while walking 23 and striking out 63. Carda is also an offensive threat with a .209 batting average and five home runs tallied in 2013.

LAST TIME UNM PLAYED BYU- The last time the Lobos and the Cougars faced off was May 7, 2011 at Lobo Field in Albuquerque, N.M. It was the final game of a Mountain West weekend series and it was a memorable one. The Lobos were down, 2-1 with one runner on and an out already accounted for in the bottom of the seventh. UNM's power hitter Jessica Garcia stepped up to the plate and BYU put in relief pitcher Hannah Howell to face her. Howell struck Garcia out to come within one out of the game ending. The Cougars reentered their ace, Paige Affleck, as Lobo Danielle Castro came up to bat. Castro took a big cut and hit a two-run walk-off homer to take the game, 3-2, and give Affleck and BYU the loss. It was the first time the Lobos beat BYU since April 3, 2008.

THEY SAY SOMETIMES HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF - The last time UNM and the Bruins faced off most of the current Lobos were in middle school. It was Feb. 10, 2007 and the Lobos were 0-3 on the young season while UCLA was ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll. The teams faced off in Tempe, Ariz., at the Kajikawa Classic. New Mexico pounded out 13 runs on 12 hits to upset the third-ranked team in the nation, 13-1, in five innings. Lobo junior Kelly Ninemire owned the circle, allowing just one run and holding UCLA to two hits. Samantha Hughes and Katie Gilmoreeach recorded their first homers of the season in that game. UCLA is off to a 13-2 start this season and is ranked No. 10/12 nationally. Perhaps history will repeat itself.

ANAYA NAMED MOUNTAIN WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK- New Mexico junior second baseman Chelsea Anaya has been named Mountain West Player of the Week for games through February 24. This is the first career MW weekly accolade for Anaya and the second in a row for the Lobos as freshman pitcher Lauren Soleswas honored last week. Anaya led New Mexico to a 4-1 mark last week, including a midweek win over New Mexico State, and victories over Auburn and Kansas at the 2013 Best Western Marina Grand Islander Classic, Feb. 22-24, in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Lobo second baseman started all five games and recorded at least one hit and one RBI in every game. For the week, she went 9-for-16 (.562) at the plate, including 5-for-10 with runners on base and 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position. She hit two home runs, led the team with eight RBIs, scored five runs and stole three bases. Her on-base percentage for the five games was .611, while her slugging percentage was .938. Defensively, Anaya recorded nine putouts and nine assists while committing one error. In the Lobos' 10-9 midweek victory over in-state rival New Mexico State, Anaya went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored. She was part of a five-run rally in the third inning that helped the Lobos gain a one-run lead. With two outs in the top of the third inning, UNM loaded the bases and Anaya stepped up to the plate and hit a single to left center to bring in two runs. In tournament action over the weekend, Anaya went 8-for-13 with six RBIs and four runs scored as the Lobos posted a 3-1 mark, adding a win over Southern to the victories against the Tigers and Jayhawks. New Mexico's lone loss of the week was a 6-5, eight-inning decision to tournament host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

STREAK TALK - Junior Chelsea Anaya is on a seven-game hitting streak, having recorded at least one hit and one RBI in every game since the Lobos' Feb. 17 contest with IPFW. The streak has lasted two weekends and six Lobo victories, and has included 10 RBIs, five runs scored, two home runs and a double. Mariah Rimmerhad a nine-game hitting streak going, as she had recorded at least a hit in every game from Feb. 10-22. She didn't record a hit in UNM's 2-1 win over Auburn on Feb. 23, but had three hits against Texas A&M Corpus Christi and two against Kansas, meaning she's recorded a hit in all but one of the Lobos' last 12 games.

ANAYALATOR - When Chelsea Anaya steps up to bat, you'll hear all the other Lobos chanting, "Anayalator!" -- and for good reason. The junior second baseman is on a seven-game hitting and RBI streak. She leads the team in RBIs with 14 so far this season -- the next most on the team is eight by Mariah Rimmer. In New Mexico's 19 games, Anaya is 11-for-26 with runners on and 8-for-15 with runners in scoring position. With runners on third and less than two outs away, Anaya is 6-for-7 (.857 avg.) She is second on the team for extra-base hits with five -- three doubles and two home runs.

RIMMER LEADING LOBOS AND THE MOUNTAIN WEST - A consistent force for UNM has been Mariah Rimmer. The Lobos' freshman center fielder leads the team with a .400 average. She's recorded a team and league-high 24 hits in 60 at-bats, including four doubles and two home runs. Her six extra-base hits is a team high. She is also a team and MW-high 14-for-15 in stolen base attempts and has recorded a hit in all but one (vs. Auburn) of the Lobos' last 12 games. In addition to leading the MW in hits and stolen bases, Rimmer is second overall in the league for runs scored with 16.

A `KAITY' OF ALL TRADES - Redshirt senior Kaity Ingramis stepping up as a veteran member of the team and filling in where her team needs here. She's proved to be a real `Kaity' of all trades. Ingram has started all 18 games-- mostly at third base, but also at short stop, in the outfield and as the Lobos' designated player.

RIMMER THE BASE BURGLAR - Freshman Mariah Rimmer is 14-of-15 for stolen bases in UNM's 19 games. She has recorded a stolen base in 13 games and twice has recorded two stolen bases - against Hampton on Feb. 16 and against IPFW on Feb. 17. Her 14 steals leads the Mountain West and surpasses last year's team high of 10 achieved by Jessica Lujan-Dresslarover 52 games. The program record for stolen bases in a single season is 40 set by Jackie Van Hooydonk in 1997. If Rimmer keeps up her pace of stolen bases (.737 game) over the Lobos' 57-game season, she could break the record.

ACTUALLY, RIMMER LEADS A PACK OF BASE BURGLARS - Actually, Rimmer is the ring leader of a whole Lobo pack of base burglars. New Mexico leads the Mountain West conference in stolen bases with 30. The next-highest is Fresno State with 27 while San Diego State is third with 16. Rimmer has 14 of the Lobos' 30 while senior Kaity Ingram has five, junior Chelsea Anaya has four and Cassandra Kalapsa, Nykilah Torres, Courtney Geith, Naomi Tellez, Jordan Sjostrand, Karissa Haleman and Amber Tracyhave one apiece.

LOBO PITCHING STAFF STANDS OUT STATISTICALLY - The Lobo pitching staff is ranked in a number of statistical categories in the Mountain West while a few of UNM's pitchers are also ranked. New Mexico is tied with San Diego State and Nevada for fewest number of home runs given up - just five over 19 games. The Lobo pitching staff ranks second for opponent batting average (.255), innings pitched (115.1), strikeouts (81), wins (9) and is tied for second with San Diego State for most caught looking strikeouts (30). Individually, Lauren Soles is a standout in the Mountain West. The freshman is second for lowest opponent batting average (.174), fifth for strikeouts while looking (12) and tied for fifth for strikeouts (32) and wins (4). Senior Kaela DeBroeck is fifth for ERA (1.46), sixth for earned runs (5), eighth for walks allowed (5) and ninth for runs allowed (11). Senior Kari Gutierrezis eighth for hits allowed (19).

RALLIES IN THIRD AND SIXTH LIFT LOBOS TO 10-9 WIN OVER AGGIES - The Rio Grande Rivalry record is 1-1 in 2013 as New Mexico evened the mark with a 10-9 come-from-behind victory at New Mexico State on Feb. 19. After nearly an hour-long delay due to rain, the Lobos and Aggies took to the field. UNM used five-run rallies in the top of the third and sixth to pull off what head coach Erica Beach called a "true team win." Of the 19 runs scored in the contest, only seven were earned. Field conditions were poor and the game saw eight errors -- five by the Aggies and three by the Lobos. New Mexico outhit NMSU, 10-6, and three Lobos had two hits apiece: Mariah Rimmer, Kaity Ingram and Cassandra Kalapsa. Naomi Tellez hit her first collegiate home run in the top of the third inning to drive in three runs and help UNM take over the lead temporarily. Carrie Sheehanthrew the final 2.2 innings and earned the win to improve to 2-1. She faced 12 batters, allowing four hits and one earned run while walking none and striking out one.

2013 BEST WESTERN MARINA GRAND ISLANDER CLASSIC RECAP - The Lobos went 3-1 at the 2013 Best Western Marina Grand Islander Classic, picking up wins over Southern, Auburn and Kansas and dropping a 6-5 (8 inn.) decision to host Texas A&M Corpus Christi. With the three wins, New Mexico improved to 9-9 overall. Chelsea Anaya and Mariah Rimmer were the big offensive contributors while in Corpus Christi. Anaya went 8-for-13 on the weekend, recording a hit in every game and including two home runs. The junior second baseman scored four runs and drove in six while stealing three bases, tallying 14 total bases and recording an on-base percentage of .643 and a slugging percentage of 1.077. Rimmer was 8-for-16 and had one home run while scoring a team-high six runs and driving in two. She was 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts, moving her season total to 14. All five of UNM's pitchers saw action this weekend. Lauren Soles went 2-0 with wins over Auburn and Kansas. The freshman lefty threw 9.1 innings, scattering five hits and allowing one earned run while walking three and striking out 10 for a weekend ERA of 0.96. Kari Gutierrez earned the other win against Southern as she came in as a reliever and helped UNM regain and hold on to the lead. The senior threw 3.2 innings, allowing four hits and one earned run while walking three and striking out four. Lisa Rodrigues logged 5.2 innings over two games -- Southern and Texas A&M Corpus Christi. She allowed five hits and two earned runs while walking five and striking out two. Carrie Sheehan got the start against Texas A&M Corpus Christi and threw five innings. The sophomore allowed eight hits and four earned runs while walking two and striking out three. Senior Kaela DeBroeck got the start against Kansas and threw 4.2 innings allowing three hits, one earned run, one walk and recording one strikeout.

Lobos Softball

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