March 5, 2005
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico baseball team took two games from Northern Colorado in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Isotopes Park to complete the three-game sweep of the Bears. UNM claimed game one, 11-8, and won game two, 9-5. The Lobos (7-8) defeated UNC 11-6 last night in the series opener.
Jeff Grady had an outstanding day at the plate, going 4-for-7 with three homers and six RBI in the two games. Grady delivered the first multi-homer game of his career in game one, belting a solo shot to center field in the third followed by a towering blast off the scoreboard in left field in the fifth. He added an RBI single in the sixth later in game one and then and hit a three-run homer in game two.
Danny Ray Herrera picked up his first win of the season with a two-hit, six-inning performance in game one. Herrera (1-1) struck out six and didn’t allow a run while he was on the mound.
The offense gave Herrera plenty of support, scoring five unearned runs in the second. The Lobos added single runs in the third and fourth and two runs each in the fifth and sixth to take a commanding 11-0 lead.
The Bears (1-11) came back with seven runs in the top of the seventh on five hits and four walks. UNC closed the gap to one at 11-8 with a run in the eighth, but Jackie Smith pitched a perfect ninth to close out the game for the Lobos.
New Mexico jumped on the Bears early once again in game two, scoring four in the second. Tim Grady knocked in a run with a single and Jeff answered with a three-run homer in the inning. Tim then hit his first homer of the season, a solo shot to left, in the fourth.
The Bears tied the game at 5 with a run in the third and two each in the fourth and fifth, but the Lobos bounced right back in the bottom of the fifth on a Chris Carlson two-run homer that gave UNM a 7-5 advantage. Carlson finished the day 4-for-7 with five RBI.
Chad Itokazu hit his second homer of the year in the seventh – a two-run blast – to put the Lobos up 9-5. Itokazu went 4-for-9 at the plate with four runs scored in the two games.
Darren Coltrinari (2-2) earned the win in game two for UNM, allowing seven hits and five runs in five innings. Karsten Gaarder shut down the Bears in relief, striking out seven in four scoreless innings to pick up the save.
The Lobos return to action Tuesday, March 8 to face New Mexico Highlands at Isotopes Park. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.