ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico baseball team used a three-run home run in the first inning by Jack Zoellner and a three-run home run by Jared Mang in the second inning to build a 6-2 lead and cruise to a 13-4 victory over UNLV on Saturday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field.
It’s the second day in a row the Lobos (22-16-1 overall, 13-2-1 Mountain West) defeated the Rebels (14-27, 7-13) by the score of 13-4 and have a chance to go for the sweep noon Sunday.
While the Lobos have taken the first two, 10th-year UNM coach Ray Birmingham said his team still has work to do to not only pick up another win Sunday – but to execute the way they need to if they want to reach their goals.
“Our offense is still covering up some of our other mistakes,” Birmingham said. “I want other teams against the University of New Mexico to have to fight, not just for each run, but for each base. We can’t be sloppy with our running game and our pitch location or execution. For us to get where we want to go, we have to clean that up.”
As for Saturday, the Lobos fell behind 1-0 after the top of the first when UNLV took advantage of a two-out, two-strike hit by pitch and turned it into a run.
But UNM, which is 5-0 against the Rebels this season, got rolling right away in its half of the first as a lead-off single by Beau Capanna and a walk to Jared Mang put runners on first and second. After a foul out, Zoellner was hit with a pitch and it appeared the bases were going to be loaded. But the umpire determined Zoellner didn’t attempt to move and had to continue his at-bat.
It turned out well for the Lobos to say the least as Zoellner blasted a ball well over the wall in right field for a three-run homer to make it 3-1. It was part of a big day for the senior as he finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, five RBI, two runs and a stolen base.
UNLV cut the lead to one in the top half of the second before the Lobos pulled away in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out rally.
With two outs, Justin Watari worked a walk before Capanna singled to left to put two on for Mang. The sophomore crushed a pitch down the left field line just fair for a three-run home run to give the Lobos a 6-2 lead.
UNM scored a run apiece in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings before putting up another three spot in the eighth and running away with the 13-4 victory.
Johnathon Tripp was solid on the mound for the win for the Lobos, going seven innings and giving up four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk. He’s now 3-1 on the season. Carson Schneider closed it out with two innings of scoreless relief – giving up just a hit while picking up a strike out.
To go along with Zoellner’s big day, Carl Stajduhar went 2-for-4 with a double, home run and a pair of runs, Capanna finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs while Watari was 1-for-1 with two runs and three walks. As a team, the Lobos were walked eight times and hit three more times.
Luis Gonzalez (3-2, 3.86 ERA) will get the start for the Lobos in the series finale noon Sunday while Garrett Poole (2-4, 6.14 ERA) will go for the Rebels. Listen to the game with play-by-play from Robert Portnoy at ESPN Albuquerque 101.7 The TEAM.
NOTES
- Stajduhar’s home run was the 36th of his career, tying him for seventh on the UNM all-time list with Chris Carlson (2005-06).
- Schneider’s pitching appearance Saturday was the 73rd of his career, putting him in third place by himself on the UNM all-time list. The senior left-hander only trails Taylor Duree (77, 2013-16) and Joe Coleman (75, 1985-88)