Box Score | 2018 Season Statistics
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — With two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the eighth inning, New Mexico was trailing Nevada 13-0 with just four hits. Nearly an hour later, it took a stellar defensive play to prevent the tying run from getting on deck and New Mexico slashed 10 hits over the final 1.1 innings, dropping the final to Nevada 13-8.
That late comeback spoiled what looked like a brilliant pitching performance from Jake Jackson, who held the Lobos scoreless through the opening six innings.
Down 13-0, the Lobos picked up two runs on a two-out rally in the eighth. Hayden Schilling laced a double to right center and he scored when Danny Collier doubled into the right field corner. Chris Dunn singled him home, but that’s all UNM got in the inning, making it 13-2.
Brian Coffey held Nevada in the ninth, and that’s when the bats came alive. Daniel Zakozek, who had just entered in the game at catcher the previous inning, hammered a solo homer down the right field line to make it 13-3. Richard Ware then hit a flare to center for his first career base hit, and Jeremy Conant walked. That ended Ty Hueckman’s day, and Cooper Powell entered. Justin Watari greeted him with a ringing double to the wall in right center that made it 13-4, and Schilling doubled again to make it 13-6.
Collier grounded to second on a close play before Chris Dunn smacked a single right back through the box to make it 13-7. Nevada then was forced to bring in their closer Ryan Anderson. He was greeted by Jeff Deimling’s double to right, putting runners on second and third.
We drop the finale to Nevada, but score 8 within our final four outs to nearly steal one, losing 13-8. Onto Texas Tech on Wednesday, but here are all the highlights from todays contest#GoLobos pic.twitter.com/AE4JjCH8vH
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) March 4, 2018
Derek Marshall struck out for the second out, but Zakosek got his second RBI of the inning when his flare down the line in right that third baseman Josh Zamora attempted to catch over-the-shoulder, but it kicked of the heel of his glove, scoring Dunn and putting runners at the corners. Suddenly it was 13-8, with the tying run in the hole in the form of Justin Watari. It never got there.
Ware hit a ball into the hole at second, and Keaton Smith, who had just entered as a defensive replacement, ranged far to his left and made an off-balance throw to first to just get Ware and end the game.
New Mexico had Nevad starter Jake Jackson on the ropes in the first inning. After a two-out double by Collier, Jackson threw back-to-back walks to Dunn and Deimling, throwing just one strike to those two batters. That brought out a visit from Nevada’s pitching coach, and whatever he said worked as Jackson struck out Phillip Sikes on three pitches. From there, he cruised, allowing just a single by Schilling in the third from the first through the fifth innings. That lone single by Schilling was erased by a double play.
For Nevada, Zamora was the hitting star with his first two home runs of the season. He solo shot in the second put Nevada on the board, and his leadoff home run in the sixth made it 8-0. That home run was one of two in the sixth inning, the second one by Grant Fennell making it 11-0.
Nevada however did the most damage in the fourth, scoring six times. Mike Echavia walked, stole second and then went to third on an errant pick-off attempt. He scored when Weston Hatten doubled to left. Kaleb Foster than popped up, but the ball fell between pitcher Cody Dye, catcher Robby Campillo and Schilling for a single that would might gone foul. Zamora was hit to load the bases, and shortstop Tyler Bosetti cleared them with a double to the right center field wall to make it 5-0.
That knocked out Dye and Nathaniel Garley relieved. Garley allowed a double to make it 6-0, and a single made it 7-0 before he recorded the final two outs in the inning.
UNM finally got a pair of base runners on in the sixth with singles by Justin Watari and Schilling, but Jackson got a force out and then Chris Dunn and Jeff Deimling both struck out to end the threat.
NOTES: Zakosek’s home run was UNM’s second of the season … Brian Coffey threw two scoreless innings … Chad Smith, who was touched for a pair of runs on Saturday, threw a scoreless seventh … Nevada now has now won the last four series against the Lobos in Albuquerque … UNM’s next game is Wednesday at Texas Tech, and it will now start at 1 p.m. Central Time, noon Mountain.