ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Lobos got a pair of home runs and great relief pitching from Robert Gasser, but just couldn’t quite get over the hump in losing 5-4 to San Jose State on Saturday after noon at Municipal Stadium in San Jose.
The loss dropped UNM to 15-26-1 overall, and more importantly 8-15 in the Mountain West. San Jose State improved to 18-22 overall and 8-11 in the league.
San Jose State manufactured a run in the second for a 1-0 lead on a single, a stolen base, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly, that by Connor Konishi. The Spartans added two more in the third. RBI singles by Chris Williams and Kyle Morrison, part of a four-hit inning , made it 3-0.
The Lobos got on the board in the fourth. To that point SJSU starter Andrew Mitchel (5-0) hadn’t allowed a hit, but Derek Marshall unloaded a no-doubter to left, his third of the season, to cut into the lead. Marshall was one of three Lobos playing due to injuries to starters as UNM was without Jared Mang, Danny Collier and Garrett Gouldsmith, all out with injuries.
The Spartans got single runs in the fourth and the fifth off Cody Dye (3-6) to make it 5-1. Brett Bautista doubled in a run in the fourth to make it 4-0, and David Campbell had a sacrifice fly to score a run in the fifth.
UNM got back in it with a three-run sixth. Justin Watari singled to open the inning, and he was still there two outs later, but Jeff Deimling was hit by a pitch. That brought up Robby Campillo who hit his second home run of the season, and that brought UNM within a run at 5-4. However, Mitchel, Justin Watland and Fin Del Bonta-Smith retired the final 10 Lobos to close it out.
San Jose State tried to make it a bigger lead, but Robert Gasser, who got the win on Wednesday against Grand Canyon, entered into a bases loaded situation in the seventh inning with one out and stuck out Campbell and then induced a foul out by Johnny Mendoza. Overall, Gasser worked a perfect 1.2 innings.
Overall UNM managed just four hits while missing three of their biggest bats from the lineup. Dye and Gasser allowed nine combined.
The Lobos complete the series on Sunday at noon Pacific, 1 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be live streamed on the Mountain West Network, and also available via ESPN Radio 101.7 The Team.