Box Score | 2018 Season Statistics
LUBBOCK, Texas — The University of New Mexico faced off with a top 3 team for the third time this season, and once again the Lobos hung tough but ultimately fell 7-2 to the No. 2 and undefeated Texas Tech Red Raiders.
The loss was the opening game of a six-game in seven days road swing that will see UNM head to Fresno State for a weekend conference series before single games at Cal Poly and at Pepperdine.
UNM’s Nathaniel Garley got the start, and he plowed through the Tech lineup with a 1-2-3 inning in the first, but he was touched for three runs in the second inning. All-American Mark Davis hit a two-run homer to left to open the scoring, and another run came in on a throwing error to make it 3-0. Drew Gillespie came on with two out and two one and got out of the inning by coaxing a strikeout by Josh Jung.
Tech made it 5-0 with Cameron Warren two-run double in the third, but UNM settled down after that. Jeff Deimling got UNM on the board in the fourth inning with a long home run to left that just missed breaking a window on a parked car that one would have thought was far enough away. That shot made it 5-1, and then Deimling scored on a Robby Campillo in the top of the sixth to make it a ballgame at 5-2.
UNM held Tech at bay with a pair of scoreless innings from Malachi Emond, who threw two innings of hitless relief with a strikeout. Chad Smith entered in the bottom of the sixth and walked the leadoff batter, who moved to second on a walk to Kurt Wilson and came around to score on a Jung double. UNM got an out on the play and out of the inning when Larry Leitha, who had just entered the game, threw out Wilson at the plate.
Smith got touched for another run in the seventh, but Brian Coffey entered and limited the damage, making it 7-2. Hayden Schilling entered the game from third base to pitch and struck out the side in the eighth.
Overall, both teams recorded seven hits, but Tech took advantage of nine Lobo walks allowed. Still, head coach Ray Birmingham knows that a came against a team like Tech will only help his club.
“We are still committing some young mistakes at the mound and at the plate, but it will come eventually,” he said. “We just have to be patient. We are playing without one of our top players.” Birmingham was referring to Jared Mang, who has been out with a broken hand since getting hit by a pitch on February 22.
Notes: Of UNM’s six losses, three are to top three teams, having lost two to No. 2 Oregon State … Danny Collier and Hayden Schilling extended their hitting streaks to eight games each … Brian Coffey extended his scoreless innings streak to open the season to 5.0 … Garley dropped to 1-1 with the loss.