LAWRENCE, Kan. – The University of New Mexico baseball team committed four errors, including two that led to four unearned runs in the eighth inning, to fall at Kansas 10-9 Tuesday night. The Lobos (16-14) got three doubles and four RBIs from Jared Holley, but their defense let them down after taking a three-run, eighth-inning lead.
The Jayhawks (12-20) recorded four hits during their rally in the eighth, but if not for the two Lobo miscues they probably would not have scored. Danny Collier misplayed a pop fly in shallow right-center, and Holley mishandled a grounder and then threw the ball away to help aid Kansas’ rally.
UNM pounded out a season-high 15 hits and six doubles in the loss, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the defensive miscues.
The game featured some back-and-forth play over the first few innings. The Lobos jumped out to a quick lead in the first on an RBI single by Cory Voss. UNM added three more in the second on a two-RBI double past third base by Holley and a two-out single up the middle by Lane Milligan.
The Jayhawks, though, put up four runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, and they took a lead with a run in the third.UNM responded with two in the fourth. Jack Zoellner and Hayden Schilling singled with one out, Holley doubled home Zoellner, and Collier’s groundout to second scored Schilling. But again the Jayhawks tied it in the home half, this time on a solo home run.
Things settled down a bit after that until the Lobos managed to load the bases with just one out in the seventh. However, Voss struck out and Stajduhar grounded out to end the inning and the game remained tied.
The Lobos finally were able to break the tie in the eighth thanks to three doubles. Zoellner got the inning started by just missing out on a home run. He hit a ball off the top of the wall in center for a one-out two-bagger. Schilling followed with a walk before Holley’s third double of the game scored Zoellner to give UNM the lead. Collier then laced an infield single off KU’s diving third baseman to drive in Schilling, and Holley came around to score on Milligan’s bouncing double down the third-base line.
But KU rallied to hand Jake Cole (1-1) his first loss of the season. Cole was charged with all four runs in the eighth but actually lowered his ERA to 3.00 due to the fact that none of them were earned. Carson Schneider started for the Lobos and was charged with six runs in four innings. He threw a career-high 85 pitches and faced 22 batters, which was also a career high.
Schilling and Zoellner each recorded a single, a double, a walk and three runs scored as the bottom three in the lineup, including Holley, went 7-for-11 with eight runs, five doubles and four RBIs. Milligan finished 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
The teams conclude the two-game series Wednesday at 2 p.m. MT. The game will be available on ESPN3.
Notes: Holley’s three doubles were a career high and marked the first time a Lobo had three two-base hits in one game since Alex Real did so at Nevada on April 21, 2013 … Schilling’s three runs were a career best, as were Zoellner’s, which he had accomplished twice previously … Alex Estrella and Preston Ryan each pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief for UNM … it was UNM’s 11th one-run game of the season and its third straight.