ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Dalton Bowers hit a two-out single in the eighth inning to bring home Jared Mang, and then Jared Holley followed one batter later with a clinching two-run double as the Lobos rallied for three runs in the eighth inning and the Lobos rallied from an early 4-0 hole for a 9-6 win over San José State on Friday night at Santa Ana Star Field.
A win was the last thing on the minds of any of the 774 in attendance when San José State (6-11, 2-4 MW) struck for four runs in the second inning off of Lobo starter Carson Schneider, but the lanky lefty settled down after that, at one point retiring seven straight.
UNM got two runs back on a Chris DeVito single and a Jared Zoellner sacrifice fly in the third inning. UNM then found themselves down 5-2 before an eventful fifth inning that saw a DeVito with another single, this time making it 5-3. Carl Stajduhar then lofted his fifth home run down the line in right, getting a little help from the wind, and all of a sudden UNM was up 6-5.
It stayed that way until the seventh, when Schneider left after allowing a single. Christian Tripp came in and quickly got a strike out and then went up 0-2 on Josh Nashed when disaster struck. First on what would have been strike three, Tripp was called for a balk, moving David Campbell to second. Then two wild pitches scored Campbell, tying the game at 6.
Tripp got the first out of the eighth before giving way to Alex Estrella, who continued his brilliant season by retiring the rest of the side, setting up UNM’s rally in the eighth.
Jared Mang opened the inning with a four-pitch walk, and then Reece Weber got the sacrifice bunt down to advance him to second. Pinch hitter Andre Vigil grounded out, leaving Mang on second with two down for Bowers. Dalton, who is now hitting .364 on the season, laced a 2-1 pitch to left, and Mang, off on the crack of the bat, slid home just ahead of the throw to make it 7-6.
Bowers then pilfered second, forcing SJSU to intentionally walk Luis Gonzalez. That move backfired when Holley drilled the first pitch off the wall on a hop in left for a two-run double. That was all that Estrella would need. He returned for the ninth inning and induced three straight harmless ground balls to give UNM the 9-6 win.
“The guy who won the game for us was Alex Estrella”, said head coach Ray Birmingham. “He was the hero, and Carl’s three-run home run was the big hit of the game until Bowers and Holley. “Considering we got back at 4 a.m. on Thursday night, we clutched up.”
The three-game series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Santa Ana Star Field. Fans coming out to the game are asked to park on the South side of the field and use the alternate South entrance.
NOTES: DeVito extended his hitting streak to a team-best 15 straight games, and he has reached safely in all 17 … Stajduhar’s home run was aided by a strong wind, but that wind betrayed him in the seventh when his rocket to left died at the warning track … Tripp and Estrella provided 2.2 innings of hitless relief … due to some late game switches by Birmingham, Estrella actually went into the batting order in the eighth slot for the ninth inning … Holley, DeVito and Stajduhar, the 2-3-4 hitters, drove in seven of UNM’s nine runs.
Eighth Inning Rally Nets Lobos 9-6 Win Over SJSU
