ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico baseball team lost its series finale to Dallas Baptist 12-11 Sunday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field. The Lobos (6-4) jumped out to an early lead, but the Patriots (8-3) battled back to tie itin the late innings before scoring the game-winning run in the ninth.
“This why we wanted to play DBU,” UNM head coach Ray Birmingham said. “We want to try and reach their level. That is an excellent ballclub.”
With the score knotted at 11 runs apiece entering the ninth, Jameson Hannah reached on a one-out single for DBU. He stole second, but the pitch was wild so he took third as well. After a walk, another wild pitch allowed him to score the eventual winning run.
“It all boiled down to pitching (this series),” said Birmingham. “Their pitching was better than ours.”
Chris DeVito (4-for-5, two runs, two RBIs), Luis Gonzalez (3-for-4, two runs, two RBIs, two steals) and Dalton Bowers (2-for-4, three runs, home run) were all terrific at the plate for the Lobos as they knocked out 13 hits.
“You get 11 runs you expect to win,” Birmingham said. “You score eight runs (like we did yesterday) against a team of that caliber and you should to win.”
UNM faces off with Rio Grande Rival New Mexico State on Tuesday in El Paso, Texas, at 6:30 p.m. It’s the first of four meetings between the two teams this season, and one of two in a neutral location.
Notes: Making his first career start, freshman Erick Migueles drove in two runs with a triple in the first … Lobo pitchers struck out 12 DBU hitters on Sunday … UNM stole five bases.