The New Mexico softball team split its Sunday doubleheader with Boise State, earning a hard-fought 2-1 win in the first game before falling 6-3 in the second. The victory snapped the Broncos’ five-game win streak and marked the Lobos’ first home win against Boise State since 2021.
The Lobos held Boise State — ranked top 15 nationally in multiple offensive categories — below their season averages across the board, including batting average (.255), slugging (.436), and runs per game (3.5). The Broncos entered the weekend hitting .364 with an NCAA second-best 388 hits and averaging 8.5 runs per game.
Game 1: Lobos 2, Broncos 1
McKenna Guest struck out eight and allowed just one run across 5.2 innings to earn her 13th win, while Natalie Fritz secured her third save. Jessica DeLeon’s sacrifice fly and freshman Allie Williams’ RBI blooper provided the Lobos’ two runs. Ashley Archuleta went 2-for-3 and scored both runs.
Game 2: Broncos 6, Lobos 3
Despite outhitting BSU 11-7, the Lobos stranded several runners in scoring position. UNM took an early 2-0 lead behind DeLeon’s two-RBI single, but the Broncos responded with a combination of extra-base hits and a three-run homer. Guest, Fritz, and Brooke Umali combined in the circle, while Archuleta, Vasquez-Dickson, and McKenzie each tallied two hits.
Lobos Drop Doubleheader at Utah State, DeLeon Makes History
In a grueling 12-inning opener and a travel time-restricted second game, the Lobos dropped both contests to Utah State on Wednesday, 7-6 and 8-6.
Game 1: Aggies 7, Lobos 6 (12 innings)
Jessica DeLeon etched her name in the record books, going 5-for-5 to become the first Lobo in program history to record five hits in a single game. She drove in three runs and sparked key rallies in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings. Miracle McKenzie added a two-run homer.
Despite leading 6-5 in the seventh, the Lobos gave up the tying run with two outs. In extra innings, UNM left the bases loaded in the 10th and had runners on in the 12th before Utah State walked it off with a triple and single. Fritz threw a career-high 127 pitches in relief.
Game 2: Aggies 8, Lobos 6 (5 innings)
UNM took an early 3-2 lead and tied the game 4-4 in the third, but a four-run Aggie outburst in the bottom of the inning proved decisive. Carithers had three RBI, while DeLeon and Archuleta each added two hits. Time constraints ended the game after five innings.
Jessica DeLeon Named Mountain West Freshman of the Week
Following an extraordinary week at the plate, Jessica DeLeon was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week. The catcher hit .692 with a .846 slugging percentage and tallied seven RBI, nine hits, and three multi-hit games.
DeLeon became the first Lobo ever to go 5-for-5 in a game during the series opener against Utah State, adding two doubles and three RBI. She went 7-for-7 in the USU doubleheader and contributed clutch RBIs in both games against Boise State.
In conference play, DeLeon is batting .424 with 10 RBI, four doubles, and a pair of sacrifice flies — all ranking in the top 15 in the league.
Lobos Drop Second Consecutive 4-3 Loss, Fall to Denver
For the second day in a row, the Lobo men’s tennis team saw their match go down to the wire in a 3-3 tie, only to lose in the final set. This time, in Denver, Ryoma Mishiro staged a comeback from a 5-3 deficit in the third set, breaking UNM’s Avery Tallakson in the ninth game while Tallakson was serving for the match win. No. 71 Denver defeated the shorthanded No. 65 UNM squad 4-3, marking the Lobos’ second straight 4-3 loss after their defeat at Air Force on Saturday.
Despite the tough outcome, Tallakson’s recent run has been a bright spot for UNM, having entered the match with 10 consecutive wins. However, both he and Daniil Kakhniuk missed their chances for a 20th win of the season. The Lobos secured the doubles point with a 6-4 victory by Dario Ciobotaru and Georgio Samaha at No. 3 doubles, and UNM took three opening sets in singles. Ciobotaru and Samaha both claimed singles victories, with Dario winning 6-1, 6-3 against No. 125 Raffaello Papajcik, and Samaha defeating Rikuto Yamaguchi 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
However, Denver responded with three singles wins. No. 41 Daniel Sancho Arbizu triumphed over Aditya Balsekar 6-2, 6-2, Samuel Rovai defeated Kakhniuk 7-5, 6-4, and Connor Robb-Wilcox won 6-4, 6-2 over Nicolas Recoura. Due to Aram Noroozian’s illness, the Lobos were forced to adjust their lineup, moving players up a spot.
With the score tied 3-3, Tallakson won the first set 6-3, but Mishiro came back to win the second set 6-4. Tallakson, serving at 5-3, was unable to reach match point after Mishiro broke his serve and held serve to tie the score. Tallakson later had a 15-30 advantage in the 12th game but could not capitalize. The match ultimately went to a deciding tiebreaker, where Tallakson held a 3-2 lead, but Mishiro won five consecutive points for the victory.
The Lobos will return to conference play on Friday with a 1 pm match against San Diego State, followed by a Senior Day matchup against UNLV on Sunday at 11 am.
Lobos Fall to Air Force 4-3
The UNM men’s tennis team faced Air Force without their conference player of the year candidate, Aram Noroozian, and the Falcons took full advantage, overcoming the Lobos for a 4-3 win. This defeat marked the end of UNM’s six-match winning streak and was Air Force’s first victory over the Lobos in 20 years, with the last win coming in the 2005 Mountain West Tournament. The Lobos had previously won 25 consecutive matches against Air Force.
The match came down to doubles play, where UNM had their chances but ultimately lost the crucial point. The Lobos won at No. 3 doubles as Georgio Samaha paired with Dario Ciobotaru for a dominant 6-1 win over AJ Moore and Langdon Tingleaf. At No. 1 doubles, Danill Kakhniuk and Nicolas Recoura lost 6-4 to Arjun Kersten and Jack Brown, but UNM had double-match point on Phillip Deaton and Tyler Laird. However, Avery Tallakson and Aditya Balkesar were unable to convert either opportunity, and a lucky ace from Laird during a tiebreaker gave Air Force the doubles point.
In singles, Ciobotaru earned his third consecutive win with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Kersten at No. 2. Samaha dropped a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 match to Moore at No. 3, while Balsekar, playing at No. 1, lost 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 after a controversial call on match point. That made it 3-1 in favor of Air Force. The Lobos fought back, with Kakhniuk winning his seventh straight match, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, over Alec Fritzinger at No. 4. Tallakson also won 6-4, 6-2 over Matthew Staton at No. 5.
With the match tied 3-3, the deciding court came down to No. 6 singles, where Recoura won the first set 6-1. However, Jack Brown came back to take the next two sets 6-3, 6-4 for the match. UNM fell to 10-6 overall and 1-1 in the Mountain West, while Air Force improved to 9-8 and 1-1.
The Lobos will play Denver tomorrow at 11 am.
NOTES: Kakhniuk and Tallakson both have a team-leading 19 wins. Noroozian had won eight straight in singles and had a 17-6 record in doubles.
Lobos Dominate Texas Tech, 15-5, in Eight-Inning Run-Rule Victory
New Mexico delivered a commanding performance on Tuesday afternoon, dominating Texas Tech 15-5 in eight innings at Santa Ana Star Field, thanks to a seven-run first inning that set the tone. Will Asby’s double in the bottom of the eighth capped the victory, pushing the Lobos’ lead to the required margin for the run-rule win.
The Lobos (17-15, 6-6 MW) extended their winning streak over the Red Raiders to four years, with two of the last victories coming by run rule. In their previous meeting, UNM defeated Texas Tech 17-3 in Lubbock last April. Combined, the Lobos have outscored Texas Tech 32-8 in those two games.
Tye Wood led the Lobos’ offensive onslaught, reaching base six times without being retired. He went 3-for-3 with three walks, scoring four runs and driving in three. Wood became the first UNM player since Mitch Haggerty in 2013 to record a hit from both sides of the plate in a game. He fell a triple shy of the cycle, adding a walk in each of his last three plate appearances.
Karsen Waslefsky had a career day, going 4-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored, and one RBI. Will Asby (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 1 R) homered and doubled while driving in four runs. Jordy Oriach (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) hit his 11th home run of the season, and Ethan Ott (2-for-4, 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R) added his 10th double, helping five Lobos record multiple hits.
On the mound, redshirt freshman RHP Cristian Mogen (2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K) was sharp in his second consecutive week starting since recovering from Tommy John surgery. He earned his first win of the season by retiring nine of the ten batters he faced.
LHP Matt Romero (2.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K) encountered trouble in the middle innings but kept the game in hand with timely ground balls. RHP Brian McBroom (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) closed the game efficiently, while RHP Ben Baker-Livingston (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K) and RHP Grant Origer (1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) each made relief appearances, with Origer making his collegiate debut.
ON DECK The Lobos (17-15, 6-6 MW) will now shift focus to their first-ever Mountain West Conference series with Washington State (13-19, 6-6 MW) this weekend at Santa Ana Star Field, April 11-13. The series will be streamed live for free via the MW Network at GoLobos.com/Watch, and fans can also access live stats and other content via GoLobos.com/BSBGameDay. Follow @UNMLoboBaseball on Instagram, X, and Facebook for all the latest updates and behind-the-scenes action.
Lobos Drop Finale at Fresno State, 13-7
Despite holding Fresno State scoreless for the final four innings, New Mexico couldn’t recover from a rough start, falling 13-7 in the Mountain West series finale at Beiden Field on Sunday.
The Lobos (16-15, 6-6 MW) built an early 6-1 lead after chasing Fresno State’s starter Kaleb Hay with six runs on seven hits in the second inning. However, the Bulldogs responded with 12 unanswered runs in the next three frames to regain control. New Mexico managed just one more run in the seventh inning, as Cooper Brass grounded out to score a run following a leadoff walk and a double from Luke Mansy.
Will Asby (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Luke Mansy (2-for-4, 2B), and Khalil Walker (2-for-4) led the Lobos with multi-hit performances. Asby drove in two runs with his 13th double of the season, while Mansy added his fourth double of the year in the seventh inning. Jordy Oriach (1-for-4, RBI), Tye Wood (1-for-3, RBI), Karsen Waslefsky (1-for-4, RBI), and Cooper Brass (0-for-2, RBI) all contributed one RBI apiece, and both Josh McAlister and Ethan Ott had a hit and a run scored.
RHP Tommy White (4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K) entered in relief after the Bulldogs’ offensive outburst and provided three scoreless innings, recording five strikeouts. RHP Pengelly (1.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) took the loss, allowing a pair of early crooked numbers. Josh Barnhouse (1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K) and RHP Ty Cunningham (0.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB) came on in relief, and White and McBroom finished the game.
Lobos Fall to Fresno State, 11-3, in Game Two
New Mexico (16-14, 6-5 MW) couldn’t recover from an early deficit as Fresno State (14-16, 7-4 MW) clinched the weekend series with an 11-3 victory on Saturday afternoon.
The Lobos trailed 4-0 early but cut the lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning, thanks to Jordy Oriach’s solo home run. New Mexico mounted a brief rally in the eighth, loading the bases and scoring two runs, but Fresno State answered with four more in the bottom of the inning to put the game out of reach.
On the mound, freshman Presley Monteforte (6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K) took the loss in his first collegiate start, allowing four runs in the first two innings before settling down to hold the Bulldogs scoreless for the next four frames. RHP Jack Messmore and LHP Matt Cornelius pitched in relief, combining to give up seven runs (three earned) as Fresno State sealed the win late.
Lobos Fall in Series Opener at Fresno State, 12-5
New Mexico (16-13, 6-4 MW) mounted a brief comeback but couldn’t hold off a late rally from Fresno State (13-16, 6-4 MW), falling 12-5 in the opening game of the weekend series on Friday night.
The Lobos tied the game after Fresno State took an early 3-0 lead. Ethan Ott (2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI) and Khalil Walker (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI) powered the offense, with Ott blasting his sixth and seventh home runs of the season, while Walker added his third of the year. Akili Carris contributed a double and a run, and Will Asby and Luke Mansy each had hits.
Despite the rally, the Lobos fell behind again after Fresno State answered with a four-run fifth inning, followed by two more runs in the eighth. Daxton Purser (4.2 IP, 4 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K) took the loss, and Luke Wiseman (2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) provided a brief respite in relief.
Lobos’ Comeback Effort Falls Short, 4-3 Against Air Force
New Mexico nearly completed a thrilling comeback, securing three-set victories at No. 1 by Maud Vandeputte and No. 2 by Sarah O’Connor. However, Air Force managed to pull off a comeback of their own after the Lobos tied the match, ultimately securing a 4-3 victory.
The match began with Air Force dominating the doubles point, winning at No. 2 and No. 3. At No. 2, Sofia Mavor and Shivaani Selvan defeated Maria Sodre and Sarah O’Connor 6-3, while Maya Michalski and Alexis Odom triumphed over Marika Matsoukatidi and Sofia Taborga 6-2.
In singles, Air Force claimed four opening sets, with UNM only securing the first set at No. 4 by Sodre and at No. 6 by Taborga. Sodre continued her impressive form, winning 6-3, 6-3 against Michalski to level the match at 1-1. The Falcons responded with a 6-4, 6-1 win by Arianna Van Houwelin over Matsoukatidi, leaving the Lobos needing a couple of comebacks.
Vandeputte provided the first of these, despite a tough start. After losing the first set 6-4, Vandeputte surged back, winning the second set 6-3 and cruising to a 6-1 victory in the third set to even the match at 2-2. However, Mavor regained the lead for Air Force, defeating Coumba Ben Niangadou 7-5, 6-4.
O’Connor responded with another strong comeback, reversing a 6-3 loss in the first set to win 6-3 in the second. She then broke the serve of Nadia Kojonroj to win the third set 6-2, leveling the match once again.
The deciding match came down to No. 6, where Taborga and Selvan battled. Taborga claimed the first set tiebreaker 8-6 after trailing 2-0, 5-3, and 6-5. In the second set, Taborga faced a 6-5 deficit but hit just wide on a crucial point, allowing Selvan to win the set. The third set proved pivotal, as Taborga held a 4-3 lead and was up 40-15, but a missed passing shot allowed Selvan to break back, hold serve, and eventually win the match 6-3, giving Air Force the 4-3 win after nearly four hours of play.
Lobos Compete at Fanelli Classic and Stanford Invite
At San Francisco State:
In her first collegiate 800m race, Meadow Drebert clocked in at 2:11.20 to win the second heat. In the fourth section, Hanna Bruckmayer (2:10.60) finished third, while Sophia McDonnell (2:15.17) and Millie Freeland (2:15.35) took sixth and seventh, respectively. Bruckmayer’s performance marked a significant improvement, as she shaved over two seconds off her previous 800m best.
Li-Mari Dekker posted a 2:11.23 to win her section and finish 14th overall, while Brigid Hanley (2:15.92) finished 11th. In the men’s 800m, Joshua Abraham set a new personal best with a 1:53.04 finish, placing third in his section.
At Stanford:
Judy Rono set a new lifetime best in the 800m with a time of 2:05.44, finishing second in her section. Alice Seguin also raced in the 800m, finishing fifth with a 2:11.10. Matthew Endrody posted a time of 1:49.55 in the second section of the men’s 800m, improving slightly on his indoor best.
Lobos Close Day One at Stanford Invite and Fanelli Classic with Record-Breaking Performances
At the Mike Fanelli Classic:
Millie Freeland (16:59.12) broke the 17-minute barrier in her first collegiate 5,000m race, finishing 19th in her heat and 23rd overall. Jayden Hernandez (14:10.03) and Kipruto Koech (14:26.10) both had strong performances in their 5,000m debut, finishing 9th and 10th in their section.
Meadow Drebert (4:29.75) and Mia Torrecillas (4:36.20) posted significant improvements in the women’s 1,500m, with Drebert shaving over 20 seconds off her time from the previous weekend.
At the Stanford Invitational:
Li-Mari Dekker made her collegiate debut in the 1,500m with a 4:30.63 finish, while Matthew Endrody ran a time of 3:49.06, placing second in his section. Judy Rono finished second in her heat with a personal best of 4:16.64.
In the steeplechase, Matthew Kosgei set a new UNM program record with a time of 8:22.13, ranking No. 16 in NCAA history. Pamela Kosgei followed suit with a win in the women’s steeplechase, breaking the program record with a time of 9:15.93, now ranked No. 2 on the collegiate all-time list.
In the men’s 5,000m, Collins Kiprotich recorded a personal best time of 13:25.06, while Evans Kiplagat set a new lifetime best in the 10,000m with a time of 28:05.98.
Pamela & Matthew Kosgei Sweep MW Weekly Track Awards
Pamela and Matthew Kosgei have been named Mountain West Athletes of the Week following their world-leading performances in the steeplechase. Pamela’s time in the women’s event, 9:15.93, ranks No. 2 all-time in NCAA history, while Matthew’s 8:22.13 sets a new UNM record and ranks No. 16 all-time in the NCAA.
The duo’s performances earned them both Freshman of the Week honors, with Pamela also being named USTFCCCA National Co-Athlete of the Week for the second time in her career.
Maria Garcia Named Mountain West Freshman of the Week
Maria Garcia was named the Mountain West Women’s Golf Freshman of the Week after finishing as the Lobos’ top performer at the PING/ASU Invitational. Garcia shot 2-over for the event and finished T-27th, with her first-round 72 marking her team-best 10th round of par or better this season.
The Lobos will return to action April 15-17 at the Mountain West Championship in Palm Springs, Calif.