March 24, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Both New Mexico and Utah scored in four innings but the Lobos couldn’t match the Utes in the end, falling 12-8 in game two of the three-game series at Isotopes Park. Junior Matt Hibbitts went 4-for-5 with five RBI, coming up a home run shy of the cycle to highlight New Mexico’s night.
Utah got on the board in the top of the first, scoring five runs on five hits, including a two-RBI double by Bret Guyman.
Hibbitts tripled to left center with two outs in the bottom of the first, driving in two runs and cutting the Utes’ lead to three. Three innings later, freshman Derek Pilkington scored on a grounder to short, leaving the Lobos trailing 5-2.
New Mexico starter, junior Stephen Smith settled after the first, allowing just three hits over the next four innings and striking out a career-high six batters. However, he struggled in the sixth after striking out his seventh batter, allowing a single, back-to-back homers and a double.
Trailing 12-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Lobos’ first four hitters got on base, including a double from junior Jordan Pacheco and a RBI-single from Hibbitts. But only three runs would cross the plate, leaving New Mexico four runs short and giving Utah its first win over UNM in its last four tries.
Besides Hibbitts, senior Matt Foote and junior Drew McDonald had successful nights at the plate. Foote went 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored. McDonald also went 2-for-4 with a RBI. Pacheco, 1-for-4, scored a team-high three runs.
Smith, falling to 2-5 with the loss, finished the night with 12 hits, nine runs and three walks allowed in 5.1 innings. Utah starter Eric King improved to 3-1 with a six-hit, three-run, four-walk, three-strikeout performance in 6.0 innings.
New Mexico (12-16, 1-1 MWC) and Utah (8-15, 1-1 MWC) conclude the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. Head coach Rich Alday takes his second stab at his 500th win as the leader of the Lobo baseball program.