Complete box: UNM 8, Wichita State 4
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico baseball team used a six-run fifth inning to jump out in front of Wichita State en route to an 8-4 win Saturday afternoon in front of 1,032 fans at Santa Ana Star Field.
UNM (5-1) didn’t manage its first baserunner off Wichita State (2-4) starter Willie Schwanke until the fourth inning, but the Lobos sent 11 men to the plate in their big fifth.
“The bats finally came alive. I was getting worried there for a minute,” UNM starting pitcher Tyler Stevens joked. “But I have all the faith in the world that those guys are going to put up runs.”
Chris DeVito got the rally started with a leadoff double to left-center, and he scored the game’s first run on a double past the first base bag by Reece Weber. Scottie Graham attempted to sacrifice bunt, but his bunt was perfect and it went for a single. Dalton Bowers walked to load the bases for Luis Gonzalez.
UNM’s leadoff hitter laced an opposite-field double off the wall in left to score two more. Michael Eaton followed with a bouncer through the left side to score one more. Carl Stajduhar then reached on an infield single to load the bases.
After an infield fly, Jared Mang and DeVito each drew full-count walks to force in runs. A double play ended the inning but the damage was done.
“We backed off the dish and hit earlier in the count,” UNM head coach Ray Birmingham said about his squad’s adjustments.
The Lobos added two more in the next frame. Graham came in on a balk, and Stajduhar drove home Gonzalez with a sacrifice fly.
Stevens, meanwhile, cruised through the first six innings. He scattered three hits and two walks with five strikeouts through the first two-third of the game.
“I felt really good coming out of warmups,” he said. “I had a lot more command with my changeup this week, and I just let the best defense around go to work behind me. It’s a pitcher’s dream.”
The sophomore eventually ran into trouble in the seventh though. A single and home run put the Shockers on the board, and another single chased him from the game.
“Our starting pitching has been really good all season,” said Birmingham. “I’ve been very pleased with it.”
Wichita State made things interesting in the ninthby scoring two runs and putting men on first and second with just one out. However, Fernando Fernandez, who pitched the final 2.2 innings in relief of Stevens, got a flyout to center and a grounder to short to end the game.
“We have to figure out the back of the game,” Birmingham said. “The back of the game has been shaky (lately).”
Gonzalez was the only Lobo with multiple hits as he finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Graham also scored twice as part of a 1-for-2 day with a walk and hit by pitch. The Lobos also drew six free passes to give them 56 on the year.
Situational hitting has been a big part of this series as the Shockers have actually outhit the Lobos 28-25, but UNM has made its hits count, going 11-for-31 with runners in scoring position.The Shockers on the other hand are just 6-for-23. The Lobos have also walked 18 times in the two games compared to just five for Wichita State
The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. with sophomore righty James Harrington getting the start for UNM. ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM will carry the game. Fans can catch a live stream on the Mountain West Network at GoLobos.com, or watch locally on Comcast channel 26.
“I’ll be happy if we get another W,” Birmingham said, “because that’s a really good baseball team … That team is going to be good. They’ve got big arms with great breaking balls, so what we’ve done the last two days to that pitching staff has been admirable.”
Notes: This was the first game all season the Lobos failed to record 10 hits … Jack Zoellner drew his team-leading 10th walk of the season.