Spring sports roundup: UNM soccer plays playoff tuneup
Apr. 11—The University of New Mexico soccer women clinched the home berth in the upcoming league tournament with a Friday night win. The Lobos will host San Diego State next Saturday for the league title.
Sunday's 1 p.m. showdown with visiting Colorado State is the game in between.
UNM (8-1) is coming off a 3-1 win Friday night at the soccer complex over visiting Wyoming on Senior Night, and redshirt senior Gwen Maly led the way with two goals and an assist before a turnout listed at 714.
"I think anytime that you can win on senior night, it makes a win that much more special because you send six really amazing members of our program out the right way," said UNM coach Heather Dyche.
Maly, a 5-foot-10 forward from Lake Forest, California, has eight goals in 2021, tied for ninth most for a Lobo in a season.
The Rams come in with a 2-3-1 record. Walk-up tickets can be sold, but no cash will be accepted, and UNM has been asking fans to buy tickets online in advance.
SOFTBALL: At Lobo Softball Field, beleaguered New Mexico ended a four-game losing streak in smashing fashion Saturday. But Nevada later spoiled what could have been a great day.
Senior shortstop Cameryn O'Grady homered twice and drove in five runs as the host Lobos routed Mountain West Conference foe Nevada 12-4 in five innings of the opener of a doubleheader.
Then in game two, Nevada erased a two-run deficit with three runs in the top of the seventh to edge the Lobos 8-7. The split leaves the Lobos at 3-27, and the two teams play again Sunday at noon in the rubber gme.
In the opener of a doubleheader, Peyton Robinson and Taryn Young both went 3-for-3, Young homering, in an 11-hit attack behind pitcher Emma Guindon (2-15).
BASEBALL: In Sacramento, Calif., New Mexico State fell 9-6 in the third matchup of a four-game Western Athletic Conference set. The two teams wrap up Sunday at 11 a.m.
Down 9-1 entering the ninth inning, the Aggies tried to give them a finish, putting together six hits to produce five runs and had the bases loaded with two outs before Zerek Saenz grounded out to end the Aggies' comeback.
Cal Villareal led the Aggie offense with two of their nine hits and drove in a run. NMSU starter Rorik Maltud (2-1) walked five and allowed six runs in 3 innings.
GOLF: The UNM women host the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, which begins Sunday with 36 holes and includes Monday with 18 more at UNM Championship Golf Course. Also in the field are No. 22 Arizona, Colorado State, Denver, Grand Canyon, Kansas State, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Pepperdine, Washington, UNLV and Wyoming.
The New Mexico lineup is set to feature sophomore Napat "Jenny" Lertsadwattana, senior Caroline Jansson, sophomore Lauren Lehigh, freshman Myah McDonald and sophomore Chloé Lauer. NMSU's five-stack for the Branch/McGuire consists of Pun Chanachai, Amelia McKee, Alex Quihuis, Alison Gastelum and Karen Miyamoto with Arantza Armas Stenner competing as an individual.
It's the final event of the season for both the Lobos and Aggies before they head to their respective conference tournaments.
—The New Mexico State men are in 15th place of 17 teams through two rounds at the Aggie Invitational .
