Softball Splits Games in First Day of Lobo Classic

Friday, February 28

Albuquerque, N.M.

11:30 am

University of Northern Colorado

3-13

South Dakota

9-8

South Dakota

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

2/28/2020 10:29:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Northern Colorado played two close games against South Dakota and New Mexico on Friday

By: Matthew Kushar, UNCBears.com

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Northern Colorado traveled back to New Mexico for the Lobo Classic and split games to begin the tournament. UNC held off the host-Lobos late rally in the second game of the day. The Bears fell to South Dakota in the team's opening game.

Bears vs. Yotes
For the first game of the weekend, Lainey Hanehan got the call in the circle. She faced South Dakota's Sarah Lisko.

The Yotes got to Hanehan in the top of the first inning, scoring two runs on five hits to take the lead. Hanehan did leave the bases loaded in the inning.

UNC would get one run back in the bottom of the first, as Mady Young reached on a fielder's choice and Lauren Strathearn came into score. The Bears were on the scoreboard, trailing 2-1.

South Dakota struck for two more runs in the top of the second with an RBI double. The lead for the Yotes increased to 4-1. Taylor Puga would relieve Hanehan in the top of the fourth after she allowed a one-out walk. Puga would keep South Dakota off the scoreboard in the inning.

In the top of the fifth, the Yotes padded their lead with another RBI double to score two runs on Puga. She would close out the inning with a pair of strikeouts. South Dakota's lead was now 6-1 over the Bears.

Lisko would keep the UNC batters in check until the bottom of the sixth inning. An RBI double from Natalie Joyner would bring the score to 6-2. Maddee Blood-Smyth delivered with a single to center field and score Joyner and Paola Villegas. The Bears had cut into the Yotes lead, now down to 6-4.

In the bottom of the seventh, Lisko would retire UNC in order to secure the 6-4 win for South Dakota.

Bears vs. Lobos
Maggie Thurston was in the circle for the Bears second game of the day. New Mexico threw Bailey Klitzke.

The Bears were the ones to jump out quickly in the game, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After UNC loaded the bases, Natalie Joyner walked to bring Paola Villegas home. Katie Simonsgaard was up next and she managed to reach on a fielder's choice, but Reyna Caudillo scored. It was 2-0 Bears.

Thurston would work her way out of a jam in the bottom of the inning, leaving two Lobos on base.

New Mexico would break through in the bottom of the second, scoring one run on a solo home run.

It did not take UNC long to respond, as they fired back with two runs in the top of the third. Maddee Blood-Smyth came up with another clutch hit on day, doubling to right center to score Joyner and Brandi Haller. The Bears built their lead up to 4-1.

Thurston was locked in after the after the second inning, keeping the Lobos to just two hits in the next three innings.

The freshmen bats would add to UNC's lead in the top of the sixth, starting with a triple from Lauren Strathearn to score Blood-Smyth. Alyssa Wenzel followed with a single through the right side to score Strathearn. The Bears were leading 6-1 over New Mexico.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Lobos delivered three straight hits to score two runs off Thurston. Erin Caviness was called on to halt the New Mexico rally. The Lobos managed to push two more runs across to pull within one run of UNC at 6-5.

Caviness would shut the door on New Mexico in the bottom of the seventh with a one-two-three inning.

Thurston won her first game of the season after pitching five innings and allowing four earned runs, with four strikeouts.

Game Notes

Maddee Blood-Smyth went for 3-for-7 at the plate, driving in four runs and scoring one run.
In the game against New Mexico, Alyssa Wenzel recorded her fourth, three-hit game of the season. Wenzel drove in one run as well for the day.
Erin Caviness earned her first career save Friday.
Lauren Strathearn's hit her first career triple against the Lobos. It was also the team's first triple of the season.
Reyna Caudillo had her third multi-hit of the season against New Mexico, going 3-for-4 with one run scored.

What's Ahead?
For day two of the Lobo Classic, UNC will start out against South Dakota at 10:30 a.m.(MST) followed by La Salle at 1 p.m. or 20 minutes after the end of the first game.