ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico baseball team overcame a sloppy start to defeat the visiting San Jose State Spartans 21-7 on a cold and windy afternoon at Lobo Field. Carl Stajduhar went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and fell just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
Sam Haggerty tied a career high with four hits as the Lobos (26-23, 15-11) pounded out 23. At one stretch in the sixth and seventh innings the lineup combined to go 12-for-14. Every Lobo starter recorded at least two hits and an RBI, and eight of the nine scored a run. Haggerty and Hayden Schilling also drove in four runs apiece.
“We were all trying to have a good approach,” Stajduhar said. “We were trying to use the big part of the field, especially for our right-handed hitters. We tend to get pull-happy sometimes. But with the wind blowing out we tried to stay simple the other way instead of trying to pull everything today.”
UNM took a 2-0 lead in the first, but an error in the second led to a pair of unearned runs for the Spartans (12-39, 5-21). Things really fell apart for UNM in the third. The Lobos committed two errors, starter Tyler Stevens (3-4) walked three batters and hit another, and a bloop single to center turned into a double when nobody covered second base. SJSU plated five in the frame to take a 7-2 lead.
After that, however, it was all Lobos. They scored 19 unanswered runs the rest of the way to leave no doubt who would come away with the victory.
UNM scored three in the bottom of the third as a nice answer, and back-to-back home runs by Jack Zoellner and Reece Weber tied the game in the fifth, and that was followed by back-to-back doubles by Hayden Schilling and Haggerty to give the Lobos a lead they would not relinquish. It was Weber’s first career home run.
They would add six in the sixth on just four hits, then three in the seventh and four in the eighth. The Lobos also drew nine walks as they raised their team batting average six full points. Aaron Siple, Stajduhar, Zoellner and Weber all scored three runs, while Luis Gonzalez led the way with four runs scored.
“We have to keep coming out with the same intensity (Sunday),” Stajduhar said. “We need the same focus for 27 outs. We can’t get lackadaisical. We have to take every out and every pitch seriously.”
Stevens was charged for all seven runs in 5.0 innings, but only three were earned. Carson Schneider was brilliant in three innings of relief, striking out two and allowing just one single. Taylor Duree pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game for the Lobos.
The Lobos will go for the sweep Sunday at 1 p.m. on Senior Day at Lobo Field. ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM will carry the game, and it will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network. uPUBLICtv is producing the game and will air it locally on Comcast channel 26.
Notes: UNM had its leadoff man reach in seven of eight innings … the last time the Lobos had back-to-back home runs was April 21, 2010, when Adam Courcha and Justin Howard did it … Stajduhar now has 19 doubles on the season … Gonzalez will start on the mound Sunday.