ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Chris DeVito hit a two-run, opposite field-home run in the sixth inning to complete a comeback from an early 4-0 deficit as the University of New Mexico baseball team defeated No. 19 Texas Tech 6-5 in front of a record crowd at Lobo Field Tuesday afternoon.
“Honestly, I was a little late on it,” DeVito said of the home run. “I was just trying to hit the ball hard and get something started. The wind was swirling all over the yard so you never know on days like this.”
The home run capped a career day for DeVito, who went 4-for-4 with three RBIs.Lane Milligan also chipped in with three hits and two RBIs.
“(DeVito) was a big part of the game today,” UNM head coach Ray Birmingham said. “He had three RBIs. Lane Milligan was the other big part. He had two RBIs. Those guys really worked hard on trying to do what we do here. Both of them sat last year, they didn’t really play that much. … Right now, I think that if DeVito isn’t in this yard, because this yard is pretty big, but if he’s in a regular yard he might be one of the top home run hitters in the country. Even his outs are lasers.”
After being held in check the first time through the lineup, Texas Tech (18-11) scored four times with two outs in the third off Lobo starter Drew Bridges to take a 4-0 lead, but the Lobos (15-11) tied the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Luis Gonzalez got the inning started with a sharp single to left. He moved to second on a balk and then advanced to third on a groundout to first. Then Scottie Graham and Jared Holley were hit with back-to-back pitches to load the bases for the top of the lineup.
Danny Collier got the Lobos on the board with a single through the left side, and Milligan followed with a two-run single that sent Collier to third. DeVito then tied the game with a deep sacrifice fly to right.
“We’ve been behind before, obviously,” said DeVito. “We’re working on fighting back better (than we were earlier in the season). We’re battling at the plate more.”
TTU retook the lead with a single run in the fifth, but a hustle play by Milligan set up DeVito’s home run.
Milligan beat out an infield single with one out to get on ahead of DeVito. The big lefty slugger then smacked a 2-1 pitch over the wall down the left-field line to give UNM its first lead of the game.
It was the second hustle play by Milligan of the game. In the bottom of the first he turned a routine single on a groundball up the middle into a double because he ran hard the whole way and took advantage of the lacksadaisical TTU defense.
With its first lead, the Lobos turned to a pair of freshman pitchers to hold it. Hayden Schilling, who earned his first career save in UNM’s 7-6 win over the Red Raiders last week, pitched a scoreless seventh. Then Luis Gonzalez, who had been playing right field, came on and struck out three in 1.2 innings. He left with the potential tying run on first with two outs in the top of the ninth.
Victor Sanchez came in and, after a stolen base and intentional walk, got the next batter to hit a fly ball to right-center. Aaron Siple, who came on when Gonzalez moved to the mound, tracked it down with a nice, tumbling, over-the-shoulder catch to end the game.
Alex Estrella (1-1) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win.
UNM hits the road to face Mountain West-leading San Diego State for a three-game set beginning Thursday night at 7 MT. The second and third games of the series will be streamed on the Mountain West Network and will be available at GoLobos.com.
“It’s a huge series,” DeVito said. “We want to go out there and do what we did last time (and win the series). If we play the way we played today we’ll be fine, but it’s always tough going into someone else’s yard. I think we’ll be alright. I’m excited. We’re all excited.”
Notes: The attendance of 1,106 was the largest single-game crowd since UNM returned to play at Lobo Field full-time on March 24, 2013 … Holley’s HBP was the 28th of his career, tied for second most in UNM history … Carl Stajduhar hit his first career triple … the teams combined for 20 men left on base after combining for 18 last Tuesday.