ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico baseball team (18-8, 8-2 MW) earned a victory in their weekend opener against the UNLV Rebels (9-16, 5-12 MW) Friday, winning 15-3.
The win was a complete effort, with Friday night ace Carson Schneider (5-1) picking up another win. Schneider pitched eight innings and held the Rebels to seven hits, over half of which came in the first inning. He allowed one earned run and forced 15 groundouts with one strikeout. The ace ended his evening without giving up a walk.
Luis Gonzalez led off for the Lobos and had a monster night, going 4-for-6 with two doubles, four RBI and run. Jared Holley went 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs and a pair of doubles. Defensively, he had seven assists at second base. Freshman Austin Bell had a big night as well, going 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI.
“We needed this,” said head coach Ray Birmingham. “But tomorrow is a new day, and the next day is a new day. We just have to keep grinding, because it’s not going to get any easier.”
The Lobos found themselves behind early after the Rebels posted a run in the top of the first. However, their lead was short lived. Holley put himself in scoring position with a double to left centerfield. Chris DeVito continued his recent strong play immediately, with a RBI single to right field in his first at bat to tie the game.
In the top of the second, Schneider gave up a single to left field to lead off the side. After the blooper, Schneider shut down the Rebels for 14 straight retired batters. That run extended until the sixth inning, giving the Lobos time to build a nine-run lead.
The Lobos first began to build that lead in the second, scoring four runs. Jared Mang started the rally with a leadoff single, while two of the next three batters reached to load the bases. Gonzalez put the Lobos ahead with an infield single, before Holley sent two more home on a single to left field. With Gonzalez on third base, DeVito earned his second RBI with sacrifice fly to left field. The Lobos ended the second leading, 5-1.
After going scoreless in the third and fourth, the Lobos had their biggest inning in the fifth frame with five runs. Although the inning started with a walk from DeVito, the majority of the rally came with two outs on the board. The first RBI came on an Erick Migueles single to centerfield. With two runners on, Bell smoked a ball to the right centerfield fence, earning a stand up two-run triple.
After the Rebels turned to their bullpen, Dalton Bowers reached on a walk to put runners on the corners. Gonzalez capped off the side by sending both runners home on a double down the right field line.
The Lobos had another big inning in the seventh, coming again on a two-out rally. With Migueles and Bowers on base, Holley continued to rack up RBI with a two-run double down the left field line. Freshman Andrew Pratt pinch hit, and smacked a RBI single up the middle on the first pitch he saw. Carl Stajduhar plated the Lobos’ final run of the side on the next at bat on a double to right centerfield.
After Schneider ended his run of 14 straight retired batters, he continued to hold down the competition. He allowed just two more hits before ending his night after the eighth inning. In the bottom of the eighth, the Lobos tacked on their final run on another two-out rally. Gonzalez secured his fourth RBI of the night with a double to right field, scoring Bell. Fernando Fernandez closed the game, allowing two inconsequential unearned runs in the ninth.
Game two of the weekend series is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. It will be aired live on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM.
NOTES: The Lobos have now won 11 of the last 13 games against the Rebels in Albuquerque…The Lobos hit .529 with two outs on the board…The Lobos batted 5-for-8 when leading off…Bell had a career-high three runs and hit his first career triple…This was head coach Ray Birmingham’s 500th game with the Lobos, he will enter the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday evening.
Lobos Post 15 Runs in Win Over Rebels
