LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The University of New Mexico baseball team’s undefeated and program-best start to Mountain West play kept rolling Sunday as the Lobos used a Jack Zoellner first-inning, three-run homer along with a strong outing from Luis Gonzalez and the UNM bullpen during a 7-3 victory over UNLV at Wilson Stadium.
The Lobos (15-9 overall) moved to 9-0 in Mountain West action as Sunday marked their third series sweep in three tries in conference play.
UNM took control of Sunday’s contest from the get go as a lead-off walk by Gonzalez, a two-out hit-by-pitch to Jared Mang brought Zoellner to the plate. The senior went down 0-2 early in the count, worked it back to full and then hit a three-run homer to right field to give the Lobos a 3-0 advantage.
UNLV (10-16, 5-7) scored a run in the third to cut the UNM lead to two before Danny Collier came through with a two-out RBI single to drive in Andre Vigil (who doubled earlier in the inning) to push the lead to 4-1.
“Jack Zoellner’s two-strike, three-run home run was clutch for us,” UNM coach Ray Birmingham said. “Danny Collier’s two-out RBI single was the difference though.”
The Lobos added another in the fifth on a Mang RBI single and single runs in the seventh (Gonzalez RBI single) and eighth (Andre Gregory RBI groundout) to pull away and pick up their fourth straight victory.
It was more than enough for Gonzalez and the UNM bullpen as the left-hander went six innings and gave up three runs on 12 hits with two strikeouts and no walks to move to 2-2 on the season.
The Lobo bullpen shut the door on the Rebels as James Harrington tossed a perfect seventh with a pair of strikeouts, Justin Slaten pitched a perfect eighth with a strikeout and Christian Tripp gave up only a two-out single in the ninth to close it out.
“Gonzo was good, but the combo of Justin Slaten and Christian Tripp gives us a chance to shorten games in the future,” Birmingham said. “They were automatic.”
Zoellner finished 2-for-4 with a homer, double, three RBI and two runs while Vigil went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs.
The Lobos return to action Tuesday when they travel to Las Cruces to take on New Mexico State. Listen to the game on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM streamed at www.1017theteam.com and on the TuneIn Radio app.
NOTES
- Slaten finished the week with three perfect innings of work in three games and has not been scored upon in his last five appearances – lowering his ERA to 1.15.
- Slaten and Christian Tripp were a stellar eighth and ninth inning combination this week as the duo closed out three of the Lobos’ wins – going six innings and giving up no runs on two hits with four strikeouts.
- The Lobo pitching staff has been strong as a whole over its last eight games as it owns a 3.52 ERA during that stretch.
- Zoellner’s home run was his team-best eighth of the season – also tying a single-season career high for the senior just 24 games into 2017.