March 11, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The brooms were out at Isotopes Park Sunday afternoon as the Lobo baseball team completed the sweep against Rhode Island with a 21-4 win. The victory, New Mexico’s fourth straight, moved the team to 10-11 overall.
The Rams’ starting pitcher, Nick Greenwood, gave UNM a 2-0 lead in the first, hitting two batters and walking two with the bases loaded. Another walk and two singles in the second pushed the Lobo lead to 4-0.
Lobo starter Jacob Norton let Rhode Island back in with a run in the third and fourth. But he settled down and threw a hitless fifth, giving him the innings necessary to earn his first win of the season.
New Mexico kept hacking away at the plate, putting two runs on the board in the fifth, three in the seventh and 12 in the eighth. It was the first time since April 22, 2006 against Utah that the Lobos scored 10 or more runs in an inning.
For the game, UNM posted 21, reaching the 20-hit mark for the first time this season after hitting it five times in 2006. Senior Matt Foote led the Lobos in hits, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Junior Ian Hollick went 2-for-3 with a team-leading three RBIs and four runs scored.
Norton, 1-4 overall, went 5.0 innings for four hits, two runs, three walks and a strikeout. Junior Adam Skelton and freshman Jarrad Watkins threw scoreless innings of relief (2.0 and 1.0, respectively) while freshman Scott Gracey closed out the ninth, notching the bullpen’s lone strikeout.
New Mexico looks to even out its record and go up 3-0 in the season series with New Mexico State on Tuesday night. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. at Isotopes Park.