ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It took a little while, but UNM’s offense exploded for nine runs in its final two at bats, but the story was Colton Thomson, who went a career-high 8.0 innings, allowing just four hit and a run in the ninth inning in improving to 2-1 on the season as UNM defeated the Spartans 11-1 to complete a three-game sweep.
Thomson, who hadn’t gone more than 6 innings all season after missing most of last year with an arm injury, threw just 82 pitches, 52 for strikes, walking just two men (the only two men to even see three-ball counts).
“The big thing for us is we are getting the pitching that we need,” said head coach Ray Birmingham. “Our starters are going deep into games and we are playing defense behind them. Colton got ahead of hitters and threw strikes and dictated the game today.”
With Thomsondealing, UNM scratched out a runs in the fourth and sixth on a Jack Zoellner sacrifice fly and a Zoellner single, and that held tight until the stretch, when the Lobos exploded for seven runs in a long seventh inning that turned a tense 2-0 game into a laugher.
UNM sent 13 men to the plate in the inning, and it started with a single to center from Dalton Bowers, and then a key at bat was turned in from Luis Gonzalez, who failed to get a bunt down on two attempts and then was hit by a pitch. Then with the defense thinking bunt, Jared Holley roped one down the line in right for a double to make it 3-0, and the hit parade was just getting started.
Chris DeVito doubled to the gap for a 5-0 lead while extending his streak to 17 games. Jack Zoellner then completed a career-day for himself with a triple off the right field line and a 6-0 lead. For Zoellner, he went 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a triple and a sacrifice fly as he drove in a career-high four runs.
Up 6-0, Erick Migueles singles in Zoellner to make it 7-0 after Jared Mang was hit by a pitch, and then back-to-back walks made it 8-0. UNM got its final run of the frame when Gonzalez flew out to the 413 mark in center for as long a sacrifice fly that you could hit at Santa Ana Star Field and it was 9-0. UNM tacked on two more runs in the eighth to make it 11-0, including the first collegiate hit and RBI for Jacob Westerman.
All that was left to see was if Thomson could complete the shutout, but it wasn’t meant to be, as he walked the first batter he face and was pulled for Taylor Duree, who gave up just a two-out single to plate San José State’s only run of the game.
The Lobos, who have won three straight series and five straight games (and seven of eight overall) now head to Texas Tech for a single game on Tuesday night at Rip Griffin Park. That game can be heard live via 101.7 The Team in Albuquerque with Robert Portnoy on the call, as well as on the web at www.1017theteam.com.
NOTES: Taylor Duree made his 69th career appearance, remaining in second on the all-time list … UNM’s five-game winning streak equals its longest of the season … While DeVito’s hitting streak has taken precedence, Carl Stajduhar now has a nine-game streak … while Jack Zoellner is tied for the team lead in multiple hit games with nine, today was his first game with more than two hits this season … Zoellner’s 4 RBI were a career-high, as he had driven in three in a game six times in his career … Erick Miguelles had his first career start at DH, and rewarded that decision with a 3-for-4 day.
Offense Explodes Behind Thomson’s Gem 11-1
