LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The University of New Mexico baseball team saw its seven-game winning streak snapped in extra innings at UNLV Sunday. The Lobos (23-16, 13-8) lost 3-2 in 10 innings on a walk-off suicide squeeze by the Rebels (16-22, 3-15).
Alex Estrella (2-2) struck out the leadoff man in the 10th, but the ball was in the dirt and bounced straight up in the air, and the batter reached on the wild pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second ahead of an intentional walk. Estrella then missed inside on a 3-2 pitch to the next better to load the bases before Edgar Montes placed a perfect bunt that Estrella couldn’t get to in time.
UNM actually attempted a suicide squeeze of its own earlier in the game, but the pitch was too far inside for Aaron Siple to handle, and Hayden Schilling was tagged out heading back to third.
UNM wasted another beautiful start by freshman Tyler Stevens. Coming off a one-hitter last Sunday, Stevens allowed just one run in 6.2 innings to lower his season ERA to 2.30.
The Lobos scored the first two runs of the game with single tallies in the second and fourth. Cory Voss led off the second with a single and stole second. Carl Stajduhar drove him in with a single through the left side for his seventh RBI of the series.
Voss was also involved in the Lobos’ second run. Aaron Siple led off the fourth with a single up the middle, and he took off on an 0-1 pitch. Voss lined a double that was just fair down the left-field line that allowed Siple to score with ease.
For a while it appeared that might be all that Stevens would need. He cruised through the first six innings, allowing just three singles and two walks. However, after retiring the first two batters in the seventh he allowed a double to right-center that ended his day.
Reliever Luis Gonzalez then issued a wild pitch and a walk before giving up a single that cut the lead to one. UNLV then tied the game on a one-out solo homer in the eighth off Preston Ryan.
Siple finished 3-for-5 and Voss went 2-for-2 with a walk and HBP to lead the Lobos.
The winning streak was the longest for UNM this season. The Lobos hit .368 during the streak and outscored their opponents 61-20. Stevens, Estrella and Gonzalez each recorded a win for UNM, while Toller Boardman and Carson Schneider got a pair. Lobo pitching struck out 52 and walked just 10 batters.
The Lobos fell three games behind Nevada for first in the Mountain West with nine games remaining. UNM hosts the Wolf Pack in two weeks at Lobo Field. The Lobos are just one game back of San Diego State for second, however, having split the season series with the Aztecs 3-3.
Despite the loss, the Lobos still won the series and moved to 46-15-2 in Mountain West series under head coach Ray Birmingham.
UNM returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Rio Grande Rival New Mexico State at Lobo Field at 6 p.m. The game will be televised by uPUBLICtv on Comcast channel 26 and broadcast by ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM.
Notes: Danny Collier started at DH, so Siple moved from right to center, and Reece Weber got the start in right … Weber went 1-for-4 … Voss stole his second base of the series … UNM out-hit the Rebels 8-6 … it was just UNM’s second loss in its last 54 games when it was leading after six innings.