WICHITA, Kan. – Playing in an environment that is never easy to win in, the University of New Mexico baseball team failed to hold a 4-2 lead in the seventh and fell 6-5 to the Wichita State Shockers Friday evening. It was the ninth one-run loss of the season for UNM and another painful loss for a young team that has had freshmen and sophomores take nearly three-quarters of its plate appearances this season.
The Shockers scored twice in the seventh to tie the game, and then once in the eighth to take the lead, but Cory Voss’s two-strike, two-out solo home run to deep left-center tied the game in the ninth. However, Wichita State (15-26) opened the bottom of the ninth with three straight singles to secure the walk-off win.
The Lobos (24-17) took a 3-0 lead in the second inning with the help of some Wichita State miscues. Carl Stajduhar led off the inning with an infield single to shortstop, and he moved to second when the throw was wide and went into the Shockers’ dugout. Jack Zoellner followed with a walk, and Aaron Siple sacrificed them both into scoring position. Bowers then appeared to record an RBI-groundout to short, but after an appeal it was ruled that the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, so that put runners on the corners.
Bowers stole second with two outs to put two men in scoring position. A wild pitch brought home the inning’s second run, and Danny Collier finished it off with a triple to right-center to give the Lobos the early advantage.
Stajduhar’s RBI single in the fifth was sandwiched between Wichita State solo homers in the fourth and fifth.
Lobo starter Toller Boardman was terrific for most of the night. He struck out seven and walked just one in 6.2 innings, but he was charged for the first four runs.
With two on and two outs in the seventh, he had a full count on pinch hitter Brandon Kimbrel, but Kimbrel bounced one just inside the first-base bag for a two-run triple to tie the game. It was hard luck for Boardman who was around the plate all night, throwing 75 of his 108 pitches for strikes. It was his fourth straight start pitching into at least the seventh inning.
After Voss tied it in the ninth, though, the Lobos were unable to record any outs in the bottom of the inning and dropped their 11th game this season decided by one or two runs.
Collier, Milligan and Stajduhar each had two hits for six of UNM’s seven base knocks, with Voss’ homer being the only other one. Stajduhar is now riding an 11-game hitting streak.
The teams will meet again at 1 p.m. MT on Saturday, and freshman Tyler Stevens will get the start on the mound for the Lobos.
Notes: It was UNM’s fifth-straight error-free game … Boardman has not pitched fewer than 5.2 innings in any of his 11 starts this season, and has gone into the seventh in eight of them … the Lobos have had freshmen and sophomores combine to make 259 starts in the field and at designated hitter this season … there were 19 combined strikeouts in the game, eight by Lobo pitchers and 11 by Wichita State.