Dye Masterful in 11-2 Win Over UNLV
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sophomore pitcher Cody Dye was brilliant, shutting out a potent UNLV lineup over the final seven innings, and he got a whole lot of offensive help as the Lobos look completely recovered from a 10-game losing streak, defeating UNLV 11-2 on Saturday and clinching a series win. The Lobos will go for their first sweep of the season on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Santa Ana Star Field.
The Lobos hammered out 16 hits on the day, with seven players getting at least two hits. Included in that total is Justin Watari and Jared Mang, who each had three.
The story of the day however was Dye, who threw UNM’s first complete game of the season on 114 pitches. He allowed just two runs on the day, coming on a two-run single by Jack-Thomas Wold with one out in the second. Dye followed that with a flyout and a strikeout to get out of the inning. From there, Dye wasn’t scored upon again.
UNLV got a pair of singles in the third but a harmless groundout ended that threat. The only other inning in which UNLV got two runners on was the seventh when Dye walked two, but Kyle Isbel fouled out. Dye then worked a perfect eighth on just 10 pitches and a perfect ninth on just nine.
Check out all of the highlights from today’s 11-2 win over UNLV!!! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/9OVronsxVp
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) April 22, 2018
UNM took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Jeff Deimling single off of Chase Maddux, the son of Hall of Famer pitcher Greg Maddux, who serves as the volunteer pitching coach for the Rebels. After UNLV took the lead 2-1 in the second, UNM with four straight two-out hits to chase Maddux. After Garrett Gouldsmith singled just behind the pitcher’s mound and Phillip Sikes was hit by a pitch, Brayden Merritt and Hayden Schilling both flew out to center.
The red-hot Watari then singled on an excuse-me swing, just serving one into left to tie the game at 2-2. Jared Mang than lined one to center for a single, moving Watari to third and scoring Sikes, making it 3-2. UNM then caught a break as Connor Mang skied one behind first, but second baseman Nick Rodriguez lost the ball in the sun. It fell for a double to first base, with Watari and Jared Mang scoring and Connor going to third on the throw home. Jeff Deimling singled in the final run of the inning, giving UNM a 6-2 lead.
The Lobos added a run in the fourth to make it 8-2 on a single by Brayden Merritt, and 9-2 in the fifth in a Connor Mang single. UNM got a run-scoring double in the seventh along with a Jared Mang single, making it 10-2. UNM closed the scoring on an odd play in the eighth. With the bases loaded and one out, Hayden Schilling seemingly fouled a ball off his foot. Everyone moved up a base with Schilling hopping around in the batter’s box. The ball was ruled fair though, and Schilling was an easy out, although he got an RBI on the play.
NOTES: Hayden Schilling went 0-for-4 but walked twice, extending his streak of reaching base safely to 18 straight, the longest streak of the season … Dye had the longest start of the year previously, going 8 innings against Columbia … Dye hit 114 pitches, his fifth 100+ pitch game of the season.