ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In a game that saw a combined 24 men left on base and pitchers make big pitches to consistently get out of jams, it was one errant toss by a pitcher on a bunt that turned the game around. Tollar Boardman threw away a sacrifice bunt attempt, leading to three unearned runs in the seventh inning as the No. 24 Houston Cougars survived a late rally to win the opening game of a three-game set 6-5.
Heading into the seventh inning, Boardman (4-1) had wiggled his way in and out jams all evening despite allowing 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings. With UNM leading 3-2, Houston started the seventh with a double off the very top of the right field fence by Chris Iriart. Houston then bunted to Boardman, but his throw was well over the head and wide of Jared Holley, allowing the run to score and the batter to go to second. After a strikeout and a groundout, Boardman left for Taylor Duree, who walked his first batter and then allowed a two-run triple that gave Houston a 5-3 lead.
Iriart would hit a two-out homer in the eighth that seemed like nothing more than window dressing, making it 6-3, but the Lobos fashioned a rally in the ninth. After an opening ground out, both Lane Milligan and Chris DeVito walked, bringing about a pitching change. After a fielder’s choice made it first and third with two outs, Carl Stajduhar singled in a run, and pinch hitter Jack Zoellner walked to load the bases with the score 6-4.
Dalton Bower than poked one halfway to third and beat it out for a run-scoring single, bringing up rookie Hayden Schilling, who won an 11-10 game against San Diego State with a walk-off hit. Looking to do it again, his chopper was speared by a leaping Aaron Garza on the mound for the final out.
Houston had eight hits in the opening three innings but could only plate two against Boardman, who worked in and out of trouble. “That’s what Toller does, he keeps the other team a little off balance. They really didn’t hit anything too hard until that double in the seventh,” said head coach Ray Birmingham.
UNM got back in the game by scratching and clawing against front-line starter Andrew Lantrip (5-1). The Lobos got one back in the third when Schilling singled, moved around on a couple of outs and came home on a Milligan single.
UNM then took the lead when Chris DeVito got a freak double when left fielder Zac Taylor lost the ball in the twilight gloaming, and he scored n a more conventional double by Stajduhar. Carl got to third and then came home on a wild pitch, making it 3-2, setting the stage for the fateful seventh.
UNM had 11 hits on the evening, with Schilling, Stajduhar, DeVito and Bowers all getting two.
The two teams will go tomorrow at 2 p.m., with Tyler Stevens on the hill for the Lobos. ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM will broadcast live, and the game will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network at GoLobos.com.
Notes: Danny Collier returned to the UNM lineup after missing five straight games with an injury … Hayden Schilling made his second straight start in the infield … seven of UNM’s 10 in the starting lineup were either freshmen or sophomores … DeVito now has a team-best seven multi-hit games.