ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Toller Boardman and a trio of relievers held the No. 10 hitting team in the country to just six hits as the University of New Mexico (8-2, 3-1) took the first game of a crucial Mountain West series against San Diego State (12-2, 3-1) by a score of 6-2 Friday night at Lobo Field.
“San Diego State was 12-1 coming in and leading the conference,” Boardman said. “I definitely wanted to get this series started off with a win.”
The six-foot-three lefty out of San Jacinto College retired the first 10 men he faced and allowed just four base runners in 6.1 innings. He recorded 11 groundouts and kept the Aztecs off balance all game.
“Oh my God, was that fantastic,” UNM head coach Ray Birmingham said. “That’s the guy I know. That’s the guy I’ve been looking for. (He pitched like) Andy Pettitte.”
Boardman (3-0) struck out three of the first four batters he faced, and then kept the Aztecs, who were hitting .322 as a team coming in, off-balance and guessing the rest of the way as he induced groundball after groundball.
“My previous scouting report from the last three starts was that I threw a bunch of sliders,” he said, “so I knew they’d be looking for sliders in. (Pitching coach Dan) Spencer and I agreed to use change ups and curve balls a lot more to keep them off balance.”
By the time the Aztecs managed their first base runner in the fourth, the Lobos had already jumped out a 3-0 lead.
A pair of freshmen got UNM on the board in the second. Carl Stajduhar led off with a single to left. Two batters later he scored on a triple to right-center by Cory Voss. The Lobos added to their lead in the next inning. With one out Danny Collier and Sam Haggerty each reached on infield singles to second. Chris DeVito then hammered a ball over the left fielder’s head to score both and make the score 3-0.
The first runner to reach against Boardman came on a walk with one out in the fourth. His very next pitch was hit off the base off the wall in left to score the runner and cut UNM’s lead to 3-1, but he escaped any further damage and continued his roll.
Boardman eventually departed in the seventh after allowing back-to-back groundball singles with one out. Victor Sanchez came on and escaped the jam. With a full count on his first batter he painted a fastball beautifully on the outside corner to get a strikeout for the second out of the frame. He then buried a curveball in the dirt to the next batter and both runners tried to advance, but Voss picked up the ball and threw down to second to nail the trail runner and end the frame.
UNM capitalized and added to its lead in the bottom half of the inning. Collier led off with a single to left and moved to second on a sacrifice by Haggerty. DeVito then stroked a single up the middle to drive him in for his third RBI of the game. Luis Gonzalez then singled to put men on the corners and stole second to advance to scoring position. After a pitching change Voss lined a 3-2 pitch to right to score both runners and make the count 6-1.
“I’m just trying to be smooth right now, and it really seems to be working out,” said Voss, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs. “I’m just trying to hit singles, go the other way and be smooth.”
DeVito also finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Collier and Gonzalez also recorded a pair of hits each. Haggerty’s single ensured he reached base for the 38th straight game.
“This (win) sent a message for me because that’s a really good ballclub,” Birmingham said of the Aztecs. “But we still have two more games in this series.”
Carson Schneider recorded the final two outs in the eighth, and Tyler Stevens pitched the ninth to help close out the win for New Mexico.
The teams will meet at 2 p.m. Saturday. Senior lefty Colton Thomson will make his fourth start of the season for the Lobos.
Notes: Haggerty made his 117th straight start, tying Chase Harris for the sixth longest streak in UNM history … the Lobos have won 38 straight games when leading after six innings and 64 straight when leading after eight … UNM did not commit an error for the first time in 17 games … Haggerty and Gonzalez each stole a base … UNM and San Diego State are tied for second in the Mountain West and remain a game behind Nevada, which rallied to defeat UNLV Friday night.