USAF ACADEMY, Colo. — In a contest that saw a combined 52 hits, 40 runs and 418 pitches, it was the clutch performance by a pair of University of New Mexico freshmen that turned out to be the difference.
Freshman right-hander Justin Slaten silenced the hot Air Force bats that amassed 15 runs in the first three innings and got out of a pair of tight situation and freshman catcher Robby Campillo was a wall behind the plate helping Slaten out of those jams while coming up with the go-ahead hit in the ninth inning as the Lobos won a slugfest over Air Force 24-16 Saturday afternoon at Falcon Field.
“Freshmen won the game for us today,” UNM coach Ray Birmingham said. “Justin Slaten got his first college win and Robby Campillo was a big part of it because he blocked all of those sliders Slaten threw like a champ with the go-ahead run on third – he did it like a big leaguer. Plus, he came up with the go-ahead hit in the ninth. That’s big time.”
Slaten entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning just after the Lobos (6-3 overall, 2-0 Mountain West) scored three in the top half of the inning on an Andre Vigil two-run double and an RBI single by Campillo to take a 16-15 lead (the teams scored a combined 27 runs in a wild first three innings, including a nine-run third by Air Force to take a 15-12 lead).
With the tying and go-ahead runners on base for Air Force (4-5, 0-2) with one out, Slaten got a little help from his defense as Adam Groesbeck lined a ball up the middle that was caught by a diving Andre Gregory at shortstop and he flipped it from the ground to second baseman Beau Capanna to complete a double play and get the Lobos out of the inning.
Slaten tossed a perfect sixth inning before wiggling out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh without a run scoring to preserve the Lobos’ 16-15 advantage.
Justin Slaten pumps his fist after getting out of a jam in the seventh inning.However, Slaten surrendered a lead-off home run to Air Force’s Nic Ready in the eighth that tied the game, 16-16. The Falcons followed back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with no outs.
But that’s when Slaten buckled down and struck out the next two hitters, walked a batter to load the bases and got another strikeout to end the threat – many with breaking balls in the turf that Campillo was able to keep in front with the go-ahead Air Force run just 90 feet away.
UNM got going right away in the top of the ninth in the 16-16 ballgame as Carl Stajduhar and Jack Zoellner singled before being moved to second and third with a well-placed sacrifice bunt by Jared Mang.
Air Force opted to intentionally walk Andre Vigil to load the bases for Campillo. The freshman hit the first pitch he saw into the hole between second and third and the Air Force shortstop could only dive and stop it as Stajduhar scored the go-ahead run to make it 17-16.
The flood gates opened from there as Capanna, also a freshman, hit an RBI single, Luis Gonzalez hit a two-run single, Gregory lined a two-run double, Danny Collier hit an RBI triple and Stajduhar swatted a sacrifice fly to push the Lobo lead to 24-16.
Slaten closed it out in the ninth as he picked up his first collegiate win, going 4.2 innings and giving up a run on seven hits with five strikeouts and a walk.
As for the offensive explosion – the 24 runs are the most for the Lobos since defeating Coppin State 29-3 on April 18, 2010, and their 28 hits was the most since racking up 29 in that same game as eight of nine UNM starters had three hits or more Saturday.
“It’s hard keeping the score down (at Air Force) – and the guys who do keep the score down here are very, very good,” Birmingham said. “… Air Force, it’s a good thing those kids are defending our country because they fight and fight. They never give up. They fight. It’s a good thing Carl Stajduhar hit that fly ball to score Danny (Collier) because that meant they needed a touchdown and a two-point conversion to catch us.”
Stajduhar finished 4-for-6 with a home run, two doubles and five RBI, Gonzalez was 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs, Mang was 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs, Campillo went 3-for-6 with a double and four RBI, Gregory was 3-for-6 with a double, three RBI and three runs, Collier went 3-for-6 with a triple, double, five runs and three RBI, Vigil finished 3-for-6 with a double, three runs and two RBI and Capanna went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs.
UNM and Air Force complete their series 1 p.m. Sunday at Falcon Field with Johnathon Tripp (1-0, 2.70 ERA) expected to get the start for the Lobos while Matt Hargreaves (1-0, 2.77 ERA) is the projected starter for the Falcons. Listen to the game live with play-by-play from Scott Galetti on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM streamed at www.1017theteam.com and on the TuneIn Radio app.
Notes
- The Lobos were still seven runs off their program record of 31 runs scored against Air Force on April 17, 2004.
- The Lobos were only four hits shy of their program record of 32 set against Fresno State April 1, 1999.
- In two games this series, the Lobos have scored 43 runs and accumulated 47 hits (in 18 innings).
- With his home run in the first inning, Carl Stajduhar now has 30 in his career and sits alone in ninth place all-time in UNM history.
- Danny Collier on Saturday became the first Lobo to score at least five runs in a game since Justin Howard scored six runs against Coppin State on April 18, 2010.
- Luis Gonzalez had his streak of 23 consecutive stolen bases without being caught ended in the sixth inning Saturday (he’s now 25-for-27 in his career). The only time he had been caught stealing before was March 8, 2015, versus San Diego State.
- The Lobos held Air Force a run short of the most the Falcons have scored against UNM – which is 17 on May 3, 1963.
- The teams finished two runs short of the most combined runs ever between UNM and the Falcons – the teams scored 42 when the Lobos beat Air Force 31-11 on April 17, 2004.