Softball drops pair to Lobos

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Game 1 box score | Game 1 play-by-play | Game 2 box score | Game 2 play-by-play

ALBUQUERQUE --  Northern Colorado senior Jamie Juelfs pitched a complete-game gem Saturday night at New Mexico, but the Bears' offense couldn't push a run across in a 1-0 eight-inning loss in the second game of a doubleheader at Lobo Field.

 Juelfs (0-4) allowed just one on five hits in 7 1/3 innings, while striking out three and walking one. She lowered her season earned-run average to a team-leading 3.38 in five appearances over 16 innings.

True freshman Chelsea Anaya hit her first collegiate home run in the bottom of the eighth to provide the game's only scoring and improve UNM to 6-3 on the year.

Northern Colorado, which lost to New Mexico 11-8 earlier in the day, sits at 1-8 on the season heading into next weekend's Wilson/Demarini Invitational at Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.

The Bears' best offensive opportunity in game two came in the fifth inning, when Kelli Henderson singled to right with one out and then, with two outs, Juelfs tried to help her own cause with a single up the middle.

Kaylyn James struck out swinging in the next at-bat, though, to end the threat and leave a runner in scoring position.

Erin Geddis, Kailee Vessey, Henderson, Juelfs and James all had one hit apiece in the loss.

Game one

Northern Colroado scratched together six hits, including a 3-for-4 performance from Vessey but came up short, 11-8, in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader.

The Bears took a 7-5 lead with a five-run fourth inning before the Lobos scored five more in their half of the fifth and a single run in the sixth.

Erin Wilkinson started Northern Colorado's fourth with a hit-by-pitch, and Vessey followed with a double to left, Henderson hit a two-RBI double up the middle, and Megan Hamilton reached on an error.

After a New Mexico pitching change, freshman Liz Smith drew a walk, and Alex Neely grounded out to short, plating Henderson. Melanie Buol then hit an RBI-sacrifice fly to left that allowed Hamilton to score, and Smith scored an at-bat later when the Lobos were called for an illegal pitch.