May 7, 2005
PROVO, Utah – The New Mexico baseball team earned its first series win in Provo since the 2000 season as the Lobos crushed BYU, 14-7, Saturday afternoon in the series finale at Larry H. Miller Field. UNM lost the first game in heartbreaking fashion on Thursday, 11-8, but bounced back to take the next two, including last night’s 4-1 triumph. The Lobos improve to 21-27 (11-13 Mountain West) for the season, while BYU falls to 33-15-1 (17-7 MWC). UNM returns to action next weekend (May 12-14) to take on San Diego State in the final home series of the year.
Last night, UNM defeated the Cougars with pitching and defense. Today, the Lobo bats took care of BYU, slugging out 14 runs and 17 hits. Jordan Pacheco went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs, Daniel Stovall went 3-for-6 with two RBI and four runs and Ryan Barba went 3-for-5 with three doubles and three runs. Chris Carlson, Matt Foote, Ian Hollick and Jeff Grady each collected two hits, and Grady drove in four runs.
The offensive outburst was more than enough for Lobo starter Darren Coltrinari, who tossed seven innings to earn his Mountain West-leading seventh win of the year. Coltrinari (7-3) allowed six runs on 10 hits while striking out five.
The Lobos jumped on BYU early with four runs in the second. Jeff Grady knocked in two runs with a single, while Barba and Pacheco also had RBI hits in the inning.
BYU tied it in the fourth with four runs on four hits and one Lobo error.
New Mexico went up 5-4 in the sixth on a Chris Dabbs sacrifice fly, but the Cougars tied it once again as Ryan Chambers hit a solo blast in the bottom of the inning.
UNM broke the game open with four runs in the seventh. Carlson and Stovall tallied run-scoring hits in the inning, and Dabbs delivered his second sacrifice fly of the game.
A Brigham Young sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh closed the gap to 9-6, but the Lobos continued to do damage in the eighth, plating five more runs to make it 14-7. Pacheco nailed his 12th homer of the year, a two-run shot, and Jeff Grady drove in two more runs with a single in the inning.
BYU scored one run in the eighth off reliever Javier Lopez. Lopez threw two solid innings of relief, striking out two and scattering two hits.