Lobo Just Fall Short in Extra Innings, Lose 7-6
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico had two comebacks in it. Problem was, it needed three. The Lobos came back from down 5-1 in the eighth and 6-5 in the 10th, but lost 7-6 in 11 innings as Fresno State won its first series against UNM in the Duke City. The series finale is tomorrow at noon, and neither team has announced a starting pitcher.
The Lobos dropped to 12-16-1 overall and 6-8 in the Mountain West, and Fresno State moved to 19-11 overall and 6-8 in the league. Fresno State, by virtue of winning four of five so far has the tiebreaker over UNM.
UNM used three pitchers and allowed 18 hits, but 17 of them were singles, many soft jam shots and bloops that found turf. Four straight singled in the second inning brought in a pair of runs, and a fifth in the inning made it 3-0 Fresno State against Lobo starter Cody Dye. Dye settled in and eventually struck out eight on the day, but he was touched for two more runs in the sixth on a two-run single by JT Arruda that made it 5-0.
At that point, Malachi Emond came in and put out the fire when his low throw on a double play ball was handled by Justin Watari and then his throw was short to first, but the Arruda was called out for interference.
UNM got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Justin Watari hit one to the wall in right for a double, scoring Robby Campillo from first base. However, it stayed that way until an eventful bottom of the eighth, when UNM got four to tie the game.
The inning opened with back-to-back walks to Connor Mang and Campillo, who was lifted for Nick Atkins. Both runners moved up on a balk, and Brayden Merritt’s sharp single off the glove of second baseman Jeremiah Burks plated both men, making it 5-3. Justin Watari walked and Garrett Gouldsmith bunted both runners into scoring position.
Chris Dunn, who entered in the top half after Danny Collier struck out and was ejected, hit a fly to center to plate Merritt, making it 5-4. Fresno State went to closer Jeremiah Hill after an infield single by Hayden Schillingm but Jared Mang singled to tie the game.
In the top of the ninth, Emond got into a world of trouble, loading the bases with no one out, but he got back-to-back strikeouts and then a groundout to escape. UNM then had a chance in the bottom of the ninth as Mang walked and was sacrificed to second. After an intentional walk, Watari was retired on a double play.
In the 10th, Emond again got into trouble, and eventually allowed a run on a sacrifice fly. That run that scored reached on a hit by pitch that UNM argued against, saying Nolan Dempsey leaned into the pitch, which was called on Dempsey earlier in the game. However, he went to first and came around on Arruda’s fly ball.
That meant UNM needed another comeback, and it got it again. Dunn walked with one out, and after moving to second on a wild pitch, he scored when Schilling singled up the middle to make it 6-6, but that’s as far as UNM got in the inning.
Christian Tripp came on for Emond after his career-high 4.2 innings and pitched the 11th, but a pair of two strike singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. Tripp got a force out at home, but another sacrifice fly made it 7-6. Hill then retired the Lobos in order in the 11th to end it.
NOTES: Lobo pitchers struck out 11 Bulldogs, the 11th time in the last 12 games with at least eight strikeouts, and the seven with double digits … Collier will have to miss Sunday’s final game … the top of the 10th ended when Carter Binns swung and missed a 1-0 pitch and was ruled out for interfering with Daniel Herrera’s throw to second. That brought out Mike Batesole, one of many disagreements between the umpires and the two coaching staffs … for the second straight game, a Fresno State bat was confiscated by the umpires after a run-scoring single, and both bats will be sent to the NCAA for testing.