Marshall’s Late Single Wins it for Lobos 7-6
Box Score | Season Stats
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Derek Marshall floated a two out single on a 3-2 pitch to drive in Connor Mang in the eighth inning, and that run was the difference as UNM rode Christian Tripp’s three hitless innings of relief for a 7-6 win over Air Force. Game two of the series will be on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Falcon Field, with the game on the Mountain West Network as well as ESPN Radio 101.7 The Team.
The win improved UNM to 17-31-1 overall and 10-18 in the Mountain West, while Air Force fell to 23-25 overall and 11-13 in the league and down into a tie for fourth place.
Tied 3-3 after five, the Lobos exploded for three runs in the top of the sixth inning. The frame opened when Brayden Merritt singled and then cruised to second when the ball was bobbled in center field. Justin Watari punted him to third, and Hayden Schilling then knocked him home with a single to center for a 4-3 lead. After a pitching change and a wild pitch, Schilling was erased for the second out of the inning on a fielder’s choice, leaving Connor Mang at first. Mang then went to second on a wild pitch before scoring on Jeff Deimling’s single.
Here are the highlights from a tense and hard-fought 7-6 win over Air Force! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/mn6tSpf64p
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) May 12, 2018
That hit was one of four on the day for Deimling, who has been red hot of late, with the four hits a career-high. On the next pitch, Daniel Zakosek, who entered earlier in the game for Danny Collier, doubled to the wall in right center to score Deimling, making it 6-3.
However, the Falcons got those three right back. Nic Ready was hit by a pitch, and Rob Dau singled up the middle, with Ready going to third on an error, one of four by UNM on the day. Tyler Zabojnik singled to make it 6-4, and after Daniel Jones was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs, that ended the day for Justin Slaten, who pitched 5+ innings, allowing five hits and six runs, just three earned.
With the bases loaded and UNM up 6-4, Malachi Emond entered with a 11.89 strikeouts-per-9 innings rate, and he promptly struck out his first batter, but then he walked in a run, struck out a second batter, walked in a second run to make it 6-6, and then struck out his final batter Drew Wiss on a 3-2 pitch.
With the game tied at 6-6, Marshall’s hit won it in the eighth. Schilling walked and went to second on a Connor Mang single. After a pair of fly outs, Marshall worked the count full, fouling off a 3-2 pitch before lofting a single into right that found turf. Schilling scored easily for a 7-6 lead.
That lead was enough for Tripp, who cruised in his three innings, allowing just two walks and no hits in improving to 2-3 on the year. Tripp struck out six in his three innings as he and Emond recorded nine strikeouts over the final four innings.
UNM struck for single tallies in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Deimling’s RBI single of Mang accounted for the run in the third, Brayden Merritt’s perfect two-out drag bunt scored a run in the fourth, and Marshall doubled in Deimling in the fifth.
NOTES: Emond is now averaging a team-best 12.32 strikeouts-per-9 … Tripp lowered his ERA to 2.08 … UNM’s 15 hits were its fourth-highest total of the year and the most since 16 against UNLV on April 22 … it was UNM’s third four-error game of the season … UNM has now recorded double-digit strikeouts in all four games vs. Air Force, with UNM pitchers striking out 51.