Tristin Lively threw a career-high 81/3 shutout innings on Saturday night at Santa Ana Star Field, and the New Mexico bats took care of the rest in a 15-0 baseball drubbing of Mountain West foe Air Force.
The two teams play the rubber game of the series Sunday at noon. UNM (10-4, 1-1) lost 9-7 in 10 innings to Air Force (5-10, 1-1) on Friday night.
Lively, a senior righty from Las Cruces, struck out six and walking one while allowing just three hits. He was coming off an outing last week in which he didn’t make it out of the second inning.
“You just have to go back every day and continue to work,” he said. “That’s what I try to do, and it paid off.”
Meanwhile, Chase Weissenborn went 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Deylan Pigford was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, and Jeffrey David and Braydon Runion had a pair of hits each.
SOFTBALL: In Lubbock, Texas, New Mexico on Saturday split two games at the Texas Tech Invitational, using a three-run home run by Ashley Archuleta in the top of the sixth to get the 4-1 win over Buffalo before falling to host Texas Tech 14-5 in five innings in the evening game.
Lauren Garcia led New Mexico with four RBIs on the day with three coming against Texas Tech (19-7), which broke open the game with 12 runs in the third inning. Lobo Peyton Robinson had four hits between the two games, including a 3-for-3 outing against the Red Raiders.
Pitcher Amber Linton (8-6) earned her third win of the weekend after pitching her ninth complete game of the season against Buffalo (5-15) and struck out seven.
UNM (12-14) closes the weekend with a game against Texas Tech on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. MT.
GOLF: In Mesa, Ariz., the No. 50 UNM women’s team continued its strong play at the Clover Cup during the second round at Longbow Golf Club. The Lobos shot 2-under Saturday to remain in second place in a 15-team field at 6-under through 36 holes. The final round is Sunday.
New Mexico was one of just two teams in the 14-team field to shoot under par in the second round. Tenth-ranked Texas A&M continues to lead, sitting at 16-under through 36 holes.
Three Lobos are in the individual top 10 through two rounds of play. Lauren Lehigh is tied for fourth at 4-under after a second round 71. Jenny Lertsadwattana shot the low round of the day for New Mexico, a 3-under 69 and is tied for sixth at 3-under. Myah McDonald shot 71 for the second straight day and is tied for eighth at 2-under.
