LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The University of New Mexico baseball team got another strong performance on the mound from its staff – led by a stellar relief outing from Cody Dye – and received key contributions at the plate from Andre Gregory, Jared Mang and Jack Zoellner as the Lobos defeated their in-state foe New Mexico State 5-3 Tuesday night at Presley Askew Field.
UNM (16-9), which won its fifth game in a row, trailed 2-1 in the fourth inning before Andre Gregory blasted a two-run homer to left field to give the Lobos a 3-2 lead on the Aggies (14-12).
“That was a great adjustment by Gregory,” UNM coach Ray Birmingham said. “After his first at-bat, I talked to him about making a change and he did it and got his first homer of the year.”
NMSU rallied in the bottom of the fourth with a hit batter and back-to-back singles to tie the game 3-3 when UNM went to its bullpen and Dye. The freshman got the Lobos out of the jam with a pair of groundouts to keep the game tied.
The Lobos took the lead for good in the next half inning as a lead-off walk to Luis Gonzalez, a Hayden Schilling sacrifice and a wild pitch led to a Jared Mang sacrifice fly to right to give UNM the lead for good at 4-3.
UNM added an insurance run in the eighth on a Zoellner RBI triple to make the final 5-3.
That was enough for the Lobo pitching staff as Dye tossed three more scoreless innings while the duo of Justin Slaten and Christian Tripp each tossed a scoreless inning to end the game – the fourth time in the last five games Slaten and Tripp have closed out the final two innings.
“Dye was really good out there today and Slaten and Tripp are game over when they enter for the eighth and ninth,” Birmingham said.
Dye got the win, going 3.2 innings and giving up no runs on one hit with four strikeouts and two walks. Tripp picked up his fourth save, tossing a perfect ninth with a strikeout.
Gregory was the only Lobo with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with the home run and two RBI.
The Lobos return to Mountain West play 6:30 p.m. Friday when UNM hosts Fresno State at Santa Ana Star Field. Listen to the series with play-by-play from Robert Portnoy on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM streamed at www.1017theteam.com and on the TuneIn Radio app.
NOTES
- The Lobos have won nine of their last 11 games against the Aggies.
- The win for Dye was the first of his collegiate and Lobo career.
- With his fourth save Tuesday, Christian Tripp tied his total from last season.
- Slaten and Tripp have in their last eight combined innings given up no runs on three hits with five strikeouts.
- Senior Matt Villalobos made the first start of his career as he was the designated hitter for the Lobos Tuesday night.