Box Score | 2018 Season Statistics
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Air Force picked up several timely hits, and several timely breaks and a fantastic pitching performance out of the pen from Nick Biancalana as the Falcons took game one of a key early season Mountain West series 10-4 over New Mexico.
The loss dropped UNM to 8-12-1 on the season and 2-5 in the Mountain West while Air Force improved to 9-12 overall and 3-4 in the Mountain West. The Falcons moved into fourth place in the league, and only the top four teams qualify for the Mountain West Tournament.
It started out well for New Mexico as with the bases loaded and one out Chris Dunn laced a ball to the wall that basically was a triple, but Daniel Zakosek was thrown out at the plate on a close play, leaving UNM up 2-0. The Falcons got that back on a ball that would count as a timely hit and a timely break. On a 3-0 count with runners on the corners and two down in the second, Daniel Jones hit a lob wedge into no-man’s land in left center. Danny Collier dove and Jared Mang slid, but both just missed it and the ball bounced past them for a 200-foot two-run triple.
In the third, Justin Slaten (1-5) got into trouble but looked to be out of it with a big strikeout, but wild pitches three throws apart scored two to make it 5-2.
B4 | JMang with a ground rule double to cut it to 5-4 #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/tDzzO1jzPC
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) March 24, 2018
UNM then caught a tough break in the fourth, as after a Hayden Schilling single made it 5-3, Biancalana (1-1) entered and Jared Mang drilled a ball to the gap that with two down would have easily tied the game. The ball however bounced off the very edge of the wall and caromed over for a ground rule double, and Schilling had to return to third where he was stranded with UNM down 5-4.
It was all Air Force after that, getting two in the fifth, and single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
UNM looked to have a rally started in the eighth with two on and one out and Schilling up, but his rocket to second was caught, and Garrett Gouldsmith was doubled off on a play that Ray Birmingham argued, to no avail.
Game two of the series is at Santa Ana Star Field on Saturday at 2 p.m. Fans are reminded that due to the NMAA State Cheerleading competition, parking and entrance will be on the south side of the field.
NOTES: The game was the first for UNM with Mang, Schilling and Collier in the lineup since February 22 … UNM used its 20th different starting lineup in the season’s 21 games.