May 13, 2005
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Reigning Mountain West Pitcher of the Week Danny Ray Herrera only allowed one earned run and struck out five in eight innings of work as the New Mexico baseball team (23-27, 13-13 Mountain West) extended its winning streak to four games with a 4-1 victory over San Diego State Friday afternoon at Isotopes Park. Herrera, who scattered seven hits, improves his record to 7-4. The two teams will meet in the series finale Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. Tomorrow’s game, which is the last home game of the year for the Lobos, is the annual Dugout Cookout, as all tickets are only $2. The cookout begins at 11 a.m. in the UNM football parking lot across the street from Isotopes Park.
A day after pounding 21 hits in the 16-0 triumph against the Aztecs (21-31, 15-11 MWC) yesterday, the Lobos used timely hitting and excellent defense in Friday’s win.
UNM went up 1-0 in the bottom of the second as Chris Dabbs roped a double down the left-field line to score Daniel Stovall.
The Lobos added two more in the sixth to take a 3-0 lead. Jordan Pacheco reached first with a one-out walk, then scored as the next batter, Ryan Barba, delivered the first his two triples to center field. Chris Carlson plated Barba on a slow groundout to the pitcher.
Ryan Barba hit two triples for the second consecutive game on Friday. |
After being held scoreless by Lobo pitching for 16 straight innings, San Diego State finally broke through in the top of the eighth as second baseman Grant Desme knocked a solo homer to left-center. The Aztecs then placed runners at first and third with two outs, but Herrera got out of the jam as he fanned Tim O’Brien looking.
New Mexico got the run back in the bottom of the inning as Barba nailed his second triple of the game, scoring Matt Foote from first base. Barba has hit four triples in the past two days.
Herrera started the ninth, but was relieved in favor of Jesse Perez after Curt Mendoza led off the inning with a single. Perez retired all three batters he faced, including one strikeout, to earn his first save of the year.
Aztec starter Bruce Billings (5-4) also pitched a nice game, striking out seven and giving up just three hits on three runs in seven innings, but came out on the losing end.