PROVO, Utah — BYU softball fell to New Mexico 8-3 on Thursday on Gail Miller Field in game one of its doubleheader.
New Mexico scored twice in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Taryn Young flew out to center field for an RBI, with Peyton Robinson scoring a run, and Emma Bramson singled to left field to send Ashley Archuleta across the plate. In the bottom of the first, Macy Simmons stepped up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded but struck out swinging, leaving three Cougars stranded on base, and BYU was unable to score in the first.
The second inning saw three runs scored from the Lobos. Reyan Tuck hit a single to start off the inning, and after Leslie Romero grounded out and Briana Martinez walked, Robinson singled to put Tuck across the plate. Archuleta then grounded out to shortstop and Andrea Howard singled for 2 RBI with Robinson and Martinez each scoring.
BYU fought to catch up in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs. Marissa Chavez singled to left, before Brooke Hill-Barrington singled and then advanced to second. HannahJo Peterson-Mills grounded out to first, and Martha Epenesa grounded out to third for an RBI as Chavez reached home. Taylei Williams then singled for an RBI and Barrington scored.
The third inning was quick, with neither team scoring, to keep the score at 5-2. Two of New Mexico’s athletes struck out looking before a third grounded out. The Cougars had two ground outs and a strikeout in the third, with none of their batters able to occupy a base.
New Mexico kept building its lead in the top of the fourth. Archuleta walked before Howard hit a homer out right field for two RBI as both players crossed home plate. The two runs brought the score to 7-2. The Cougars were scoreless again in the fourth, with Hill-Barrington hitting a single but never getting the chance to advance.
The Lobos were scoreless in the top of the fifth, despite two players reaching first. BYU had one run in the bottom of the fifth, bringing the score to 7-3. Huntyr Ava and Alyssa Podhurcak both hit singles to take first and second bases, and Simmons walked to load the bases. Chavez singled to shortstop for an RBI as pinch runner Taryn Lennon scored.
Howard hit a homer to right field to start off the sixth, giving New Mexico a run, and the score sat at 8-3 going into the bottom of the sixth. Peterson started the bottom of the sixth hitting a single, but was unable to advance, and BYU was scoreless in the inning.
The final inning was over as quickly as it began, with both teams going three-up, three-down.