ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico baseball team dropped its series opener with Nevada 5-2 on Thursday night at Santa Ana Star Field.
While the Lobos (28-24-1 overall, 18-8-1 Mountain West) lost, they still got closer to clinching the Mountain West title and hosting the conference tournament with Fresno State’s 4-0 win over second-place San Diego State – moving UNM’s magic number to two.
UNM got to Nevada (18-33, 12-15) starting pitcher Trevor Charpie early as a Luis Gonzalez walk, a Hayden Schilling single and RBI singles from Carl Stajduhar and Danny Collier in the first inning gave the Lobos a 2-0 advantage.
UNM held that lead until the third inning when a trio of singles by Nevada to lead off the inning loaded the bases before a balk by Lobo starter Tyler Stevens cut the UNM lead to 2-1 still with no outs in the frame. Stevens got a strikeout to get closer to getting out of the jam, but a single up the middle by Chase Grant gave the Wolf Pack a 3-2 lead.
It proved to be enough as Charpie allowed just two hits over the final eight innings to get the complete game victory (Nevada added single runs in the fifth and seventh innings). The right-hander struck out five and walked five in his 130-pitch complete game.
“He stayed at one side of the plate, he threw fastballs that ran over there and he made you make a decision whether it was going to run in or stay a strike,” UNM coach Ray Birmingham said of Charpie. “We were trying to get ahead in the count because you were going to get a fastball that didn’t run in. But the baseball gods weren’t good to us today because the wind was blowing in and knocked down a couple of homers. We lined out a few times too, but as a team we haven’t done anything good in a week. I don’t think anyone was particularly sharp tonight and we haven’t been sharp in a while. The fight in the dog is a big deal here (at New Mexico) … and the fight I’m seeing from some bothers me. We have nice, good kids here – but we need to see some fight.”
Stevens got the loss, going six innings and giving up four runs on 13 hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. Justin Slaten went the final three innings and gave up a run on two hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
Stajduhar (2-for-3 with an RBI and a run) and Collier (2-for-4 with an RBI) accounted for four of the Lobos’ five hits.
UNM will look to move a step closer to the Mountain West title in game two of the series 6:30 p.m. Friday at Santa Ana Star Field. Listen to the game with play-by-play from Robert Portnoy on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM and on the 101.7 The TEAM “app.”
Lobos drop series opener to Wolf Pack
