Nevada Tops New Mexico 5-2 in Game Two
RENO, Nev. — The New Mexico Lobos gave up a three-run seventh inning after tying the game in the top half, and then couldn’t comeback against Nevada’s bullpen as the Wolf Pack took a 5-2 win in game two of a weekend series in Reno.
Cody Dye started on the hill for New Mexico, and he allowed four runs and eight hits in 6.1 innings of work. He settled in after allowing single runs in the first and second innings. In the opening frame, after a triple made it 1-0 and a walk put runners on the corner with one out, he coaxed a 6-4-3 double play to end that threat.
In the second a double and a single plated the second run for Nevada, but Dye got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. Overall, Dye tied his career-high for the third time with eight strikeouts in throwing 108 pitches.
From the second through the sixth innings, Dye was on fire, allowing only two hits and just one ball out of the infield while recording all eight of his strikeouts.
He needed those zeros to match Dalton Gomez, who opened the game with five hitless innings, allowing just two baserunners on a pair of errors. UNM finally got to Gomez in the sixth when Justin Watari singled to open the inning and then Brayden Merritt bunted and reached for a single as well. However, the Lobos couldn’t capitalize as two fielder’s choice grounders and a strikeout ended the inning. In the seventh though, UNM did make Gomez pay.
Derek Marshall walked and went to third when Connor Mang doubled. Nevada went to Matt Young on the mound, and he walked Robby Campillo and then struck out Phillip Sikes. Grant Ford entered with the bases loaded and allowed a run scoring single by Watari and a Brayden Merritt sacrifice fly to even the game at 2-2.
Nevada however retook the lead in the bottom half. After a leadoff single and a sacrifice, Tyler Bosetti doubled home a run to make it 3-2. Malachi Emond entered and Keaton Smith tripled in a run, and then scored on a double to make it 5-2.
That was enough, although UNM kept battling. In the eighth, Hayden Schilling and Connor Mang reached on a hit by pitch and a walk, bringing up Campillo as the tying run, but a force out ended the threat.
Nevada’s closer Keone Cabinian allowed a leadoff walk in the ninth but then got three fly balls to left to end the game.
The loss dropped UNM to 12-20-1 overall and 6-11 in the Mountain West, and it was UNM’s eighth straight loss. Nevada improved to 19-14 overall and a conference leading 13-4. Sunday’s finale is at noon in Albuquerque, 11 a.m. in Reno.