March 26, 2005
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M> – Battling cold temperatures in the high-30’s, a powerful wind, and snow showers, UNLV rallied from a 7-3 deficit to defeat the New Mexico baseball team, 14-9, Saturday afternoon at Isotopes Park. The Lobos (12-14, 2-4 Mountain West) led 7-6 after seven innings, but after UNM walked the first two batters in the top of the eighth, the game was delayed for 54 minutes due to snow. When the teams came back on the field, the Rebels (11-17, 5-1 MWC) took control of the game, scoring five runs in the eighth and three in the ninth.
Both teams came out of the gates in an offensive mindset. UNLV plated three in the top of the first, but UNM answered with five in the bottom of the inning. Jordan Pacheco hit a leadoff homer to right field to begin the scoring for the Lobos, while Chris Dabbs and Jeff Grady each produced RBI doubles in the inning.
UNLV starter Matt Luca and UNM starter Darren Coltrinari settled down after the wild first. Coltrinari got in a groove, throwing five scoreless innings and striking out seven during that span. Luca pitched three scoreless innings before the Lobos tagged two more runs off of him in the fifth as Ian Hollick and Matt Foote each hit RBI singles, giving New Mexico a 7-3 advantage.
The tide started to turn as the bad weather intensified. With the wind gathering steam and the snow falling, the Rebels began their rally with two outs and no runners on base in the top of the seventh. They strung together four consecutive hits and put six straight runners on base in cutting the lead to one run at 7-6.
The game was also delayed for four minutes in the middle of the seventh due to snow.
Coltrinari, who struck out eight batters, was pulled after the seventh in favor of Karsten Gaarder. Gaarder (1-5) walked the only two batters he faced before the second delay in the top of the eighth, and took the loss as those two runners scored after the break.
The Lobos scored one run in the eighth on Pacheco’s second solo homer of the game and one in the ninth on a Foote RBI single. Pacheco went 3-for-5 in the game.
Chris Huseman (1-1) pitched two innings of relief in the seventh and eighth to earn the win for UNLV.
The New Mexico baseball team returns to action Tuesday, March 29 at 6 p.m. to face New Mexico State in Las Cruces.