Lobos Bounce Back with 10-4 Win Over GCU
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Justin Watari doubled and tripled in what turned into a “Little League home run”, Nick Atkins scored three times and Lobo pitching allowed just six hits and no earned runs as the Lobos split a weekday road series with Grand Canyon, defeating the Lopes 10-4 at Brazell Field.
The win pushes UNM to 15-24-1 on the season while Grand Canyon falls to 22-18. The Lobos head to San José State for a three-game conference series starting on Friday.
The Lobos jumped all over pitcher Hayden Udall in the second inning, touching him for five runs. Connor Mang opened with a double deep into the gap in right center field, and after a strikeout, Robby Campillo blasted a shot over the fence in left for his first home run of the season, and a 2-0 Lobo lead.
Phillip Sikes then singled and stole second, coming around on a double by Brayden Merritt. After Atkins was hit by a pitch, Watari pulled a ball just fair down the first base line, with Atkins coming all the way around to score to make it 5-0.
That was more than enough for Lobo pitching, which allowed four runs, but none of them were earned. Grand Canyon got back into the game in the third when they got to starter Robert Gasser for three unearned runs. Merritt dropped a fly ball in center to start the inning, and that runner scored on a Channy Ortiz double. Ortiz eventually scored when, with two out, Atkins threw wide of first for an error to extend the inning. GCU pushed a third run across on an infield single, but that was as close as it would get.
Here are the highlights from today’s 10-4 victory at Grand Canyon! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/ylg4yh1ptu
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) April 26, 2018
In the fourth after an Atkins walk and stolen base, Watari blasted a ball deep into the right center field gap, and he raced to third. When the relay throw bounded into the GCU dugout, Watari had a “Little League home run” and UNM had a 7-3 lead.
Jeff Deimling made it 8-3 in the top of the fifth when his RBI grounder was mishandled. GCU answered back without a hit off Drew Gillespie. After a walk, a passed ball moved the runner to second, and successive ground outs made it 8-4.
UNM completed the scoring in the sixth with a Hayden Schilling sacrifice fly and a double by Jared Mang to make it 10-4.
UNM’s four pitchers of Gasser, Gillespie, Malachi Emond and Christian Tripp allowed just six hits and two walks while striking out 10. Gasser picked up his second win, moving to 2-2 on the season.
NOTE: Campillo’s homer was the second of his career … Atkins went 2-for-3 with 3 runs scored on the day after going 2-for-23 with 3 runs scored in his first 15 career games.