LAWRENCE, Kan. – The University of New Mexico baseball team spotted the Kansas Jayhawks an early 5-0 lead and never recovered en route to a 10-5 road loss. UNM (16-15) virtually gifted the Jayhawks (13-20) those five runs in the first two innings on six walks, two balks, an error and just one single.
KU later added three more in the fourth on four straight hits to open an 8-0 lead before UNM got on the board.
The Lobos scored single runs in the fifth and eighth and added three in the ninth. UNM’s first run came when Jared Holley doubled for the fourth time in the series, and, after a walk by Danny Collier, scored on a single by Aaron Siple. In the eighth Carl Stajduhar led off with his second double of the game, moved to third on a groundout by Hayden Schilling and came around to score on another groundout, this time by Scottie Graham.
Siple got the ninth-inning rally started with a double down the third-base line. He came around to score on a single up the middle by Lane Milligan. Reece Weber then doubled one off the wall in left to drive him in, and he advanced to third on an infield single by Chris DeVito. Stajduhar’s sacrifice fly to deep left scored Weber, but that finished off the score for the Lobos.
Siple, making his first start since March 22, went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, Milligan also recorded two hits, scored a run and drove in a run, and DeVito and Stajduhar also had two knocks apiece as the Lobos out-hit the Jayhawks 11-9. UNM also smacked six doubles for the second straight game.
Collier went 1-for-3 with a walk and a hit by pitch to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest on the team this season.
The Lobos return home and return to Mountain West play this weekend when they welcome Air Force to Lobo Field for a three-game set. It’ll be the second trip to The Duke City for the Falcons this season after the two teams’ previous series was moved to Albuquerque due to snow in Colorado Springs. All three games will be streamed by LoboTV on the Mountain West Network, and they will also be broadcast by ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM.
Notes: It was Stajduhar’s second career two-double game … freshman Chase Beal made his second appearance of the season and was the only Lobo pitcher to not allow a run as he pitched a scoreless fifth … it was the first time in five games Collier did not record multiple hits … the start time for the game was moved up half an hour to help avoid inclement weather in the Lawrence area later Wednesday evening.