April 24, 1999

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Fighting severe winds and rain and lightning delays the Rebels dropped two games of a conference doubleheader at #20 New Mexico, losing 9-1 and 8-3.

In game one of Saturday's doubleheader it was New Mexico striking first in the third inning, as Nicole Truax walked in the Lobos' Marianna Fenelli to give New Mexico a 1-0 lead. The Lobos added two runs in their half of the fourth as Rachel Wennekamp singled in a run and a wild pitch scored Melissa Krolik for the 3-0 advantage. Three runs in the fifth put UNM up by the 6-0 score. Racheal Goodpaster hit her 13th home run of the season to cut the Lobo lead to 6-1 in the sixth, but a three-run home run by pitcher Danielle Cassara in the bottom of the sixth gave New Mexico the 9-1 victory by way of the eight-run mercy rule. Truax picked up the loss to go 5-9 on the season.

In the nightcap the game remained scoreless through three innings until Goodpaster hit her second homer of the day, 14th of the year, to give the Rebels a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Before the Lobos had a chance to answer the game was suspended due to lightning in the middle of the fourth inning. The delay lasted just ten minutes and then the Lobo bats came alive. After Rebel pitcher Geney Orris loaded the bases with no outs, back-to-back doubles by Cassara and Laine Horne scored four runs. A double by Carmen LoNigro and a Krulik single brought in two more Lobo runs before Truax came into the game to retire the final two outs. New Mexico added two runs in its half of the fifth and went on to win by the 8-3 final after another rain delay stopped the game in the bottom of the sixth and the Rebels could manage just one run in their final at bats.

UNLV and New Mexico conclude the three-game series tomorrow with a single game beginning at 1:00pm (MT).