May 23, 2007
LAS VEGAS – Bobby LaFromboise threw his best game of the season when it counted the most, tossing a 1-0 complete game shutout against fourth-seeded San Diego State in the fifth-seeded Lobos’ first game of the Mountain West Conference Championship. He allowed just six hits with five strikeouts, guiding New Mexico to their first win over SDSU in the MWC tournament ever.
The Lobo faithful were on edge in the bottom of the ninth. LaFromboise was one strike away from getting out of the ninth inning twice but ended up putting two runners aboard. With a full count on him and the Aztecs’ Joe Spiers ready in the box, he dug in and threw up a pitch Spiers grounded up the middle. Shortstop Scott Gracey made the grab of the game, diving for the ball, hopping up and gunning it over to first for the out and the win.
The only run of the entire game came off a freak play in the first inning. Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Jordan Pacheco struck out but San Diego State catcher Frank LoNigro couldn’t hold on to the ball and didn’t get the throw down to first in time for the out. Pacheco advanced to second on a grounder to third by Daniel Stovall and scored on a left field single by Matt Hibbitts.
San Diego State’s starter, Bruce Billings, suffered the loss despite throwing a one-run, seven-hit complete game.
New Mexico out-hit SDSU, 7-6, with six singles from six different players and one double from Pacheco. Ian Hollick posted one of the six singles, pushing his team and career-high hit streak to 22 straight games. Troy Hanzawa and Garett Green led the Aztecs, both going 2-for-4.
The fifth-seeded Lobos will play second-seeded BYU tomorrow at 11 a.m. PT/noon MT because of sixth-seeded UNLV’s upset over third-seeded Utah. New Mexico is expected to start junior Stephen Smith (6-8, 6.66 ERA) while BYU should send MWC Pitcher of the Year Jesse Craig (10-2, 2.80 ERA) to the mound. UNLV will take on top-seeded TCU at 3 p.m. PT/4 p.m. MT.