April 1, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – San Diego State avoided the sweep, topping the Lobo baseball team 11-6 Sunday afternoon. New Mexico rallied from a 5-0 deficit to take a 6-5 lead in the third but a two-run homer gave the Aztecs a one run lead in the fourth that they added to in the eighth.
Frank LoNigro doubled with a runner on second an third two outs, plating Troy Hanzawa for an unearned run. Four more SDSU hits in the second, including a single from LoNigro, added four runs to the Aztec lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the second, senior Matt Foote stepped to the plate with runners at first and second. Foote laced a double down the right field line, driving in two runs and cutting the Aztec lead to 5-2.
Again with two outs in the third, New Mexico came alive, pounding out back-to-back-to-back singles, scoring four runs and grabbing a one-run lead, 6-5.
Nick Romero gave San Diego State back the advantage in the top of the fourth with his two-run home run to left field. Aztec reliever Mike Koons kept the lead, holding the Lobos to just two hits, tossing the fourth through the seventh.
Four singles in the eighth led to four more runs for SDSU, pushing its lead to 11-6. Aztec closer Stephen Strasburg closed out the win, holding the Lobos hitless in the final two innnings, striking out two.
Junior Jacob Norton (1-6) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 innings. Koons (3-1) earned the win, giving up just one unearned run on four hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
Foote and junior Jordan Pacheco led the Lobos with two hits each while Foote and junior Drew McDonald each drove in a team-leading two runs. Freshman Adam Courcha scored twice to lead New Mexico. Romero led SDSU, going 3-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored.
The Lobos fall to 14-18 overall and 3-3 in the Mountain West Conference while San Diego State improves to 18-14 overall and 3-2 in the MWC.
New Mexico takes a break from conference action, playing the Albuquerque Isotopes in a seven-inning exhibition game Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m. New UNM men’s basketball coach Steve Alford is scheduled to throw out the first pitch and will be available on the concourse from 5:00 – 5:45 p.m. to greet fans and sign autographs.