New Mexico saved its best for last in a tough season, knocking off Mountain West champion San Diego State 4-3 in the regular season finale at Lobo Softball Field.
UNM finishes at 26-27 and, at 6-18, and in last place in the nine-team league. San Diego State (37-14, 20-4) is the champion of the league, which has no postseason tournament, and thus earns its automatic NCAA bid.
It was the final game for UNM seniors Emma Guindon, Sydney Broderick, Taryn Young and Andrea Howard, all honored before the start.
Howard, a La Cueva grad, set the tone with a diving catch in shallow center field for the game’s first out. She drove in two runs with an RBI single and sacrifice fly. Amber Linton (12-14) earned the complete-game win, allowing seven hits and two earned runs.
BASEBALL: The Lobos play the finale of their three-game set at Cal Sunday at 2:05 p.m. in Berkeley and hope to salvage what so far has been a rough weekend.
Saturday, the Lobos (19-30) fell 23-5 to the Bears (24-25), who had 21 hits and were walked 10 times by UNM pitchers. Brett Russell (1-6), the first of five Lobo hurlers, took the loss. It’s the fourth game this year in which UNM has allowed at least 21 runs.
Not much has gone well in coach Tod Brown’s first season, but UNM at least had scored in every game – until Friday, when host Cal drubbed UNM 11-0 in the series opener.
Steven Zobac (3-3), Cal’s starter on Friday, held UNM to three hits over seven innings and struck out 12.
UNM is at home Tuesday at 3 p.m. vs. New Mexico State.
• In Las Cruces, New Mexico State (18-29, 8-18 Western Athletic Conference) grabbed an early lead on No. 25 Grand Canyon (35-17, 21-5) and couldn’t hold it for the second straight day, losing 9-5 on Saturday at Presley Askew Field.
Edwin Martinez-Pagazi stroked a two-run single and Ryan Grabosch squeeze-bunted home a runner in a three-run Aggie first. It was all GCU thereafter. Shortstop Jacob Wilson and first baseman Tyler Wilson homered for the ‘Lopes, the regular season WAC champions.
NMSU, which lost 9-6 Friday in the series opener, tries to salvage a game in Sunday’s noon home finale. Four seniors – Brendon Rodriguez, Tommy Tabak, Frank Dickson IV, and Lyle Hibbits – will be recognized in pregame ceremonies.
