ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Game of the 2019 University of New Mexico Lobo Baseball Cherry and Silver Series went to Cherry after they scored seven runs over to the final three innings in an 11-3 victory over Silver.
Cherry’s offense also got off to a hot start with a two-run first inning. Kemuel Thomas-Rivera led off the top of the first with a triple and then was chased home on a sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Kyle Landers. Harry Fullerton followed with a triple himself in the next at-bat and immediately scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Tanner Baker. Ediberto Reyes then proceeded to triple himself, but was cutdown at the plate trying to stretch it into an inside-the-park home run.
In the bottom of the first, Cherry starter Payton Strambler allowed a one-out single, but ultimately struck out the side. Cherry then wasted no time in adding to their scoring as Shane Podsednik homered to lead off the frame. Podsednik would go on to single in his next at-bat and hit a two-run homer in his third as he ended the game 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two home runs and three RBIs.
“Listening to Coach B, I was trying to stay in the middle of the field and let my hands work inside the baseball because I knew if I did that, I would be on time and able to drive the ball,” said Podsednik. “That’s exactly what happened last night. I stayed within my approach and was on time with the pitch I was looking for.”
In the bottom of the third Silver was able to break through and push across a run. In that inning, Kyler Castillo led off with a single which was then followed by a walk to Connor Mang. Both Castillo and Mang advanced 90-feet on a groundout to second off the bat of Jerry Davis. Jacob Guerrero then drove in Castillo on a sacrifice fly to right.
Cherry got that run back in the next half inning and made it a 4-1 game as Podsednik scored on a single by Thomas-Rivera. Silver rallied in the bottom of the frame, however to make it a one-run game at 4-3. In that bottom half of the fourth, Silver took advantage of a fielding error in the Justin Flebbe leadoff at-bat. On that play, Flebbe got to second and then scored a batter later on a double by Jarrett Gonzales.
Adam Schneider then singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. A wild pitch allowed Schneider to advance to second, but Gonzales was out at the plate trying to score. Following a groundout and a pitching change, Castillo doubled home Schneider for Silver’s third run. Both runs in the fourth inning were unearned due to the error to start the inning.
It appeared as though the momentum was beginning to shift to Silver as they got the first two Cherry batters out in the top of the fifth, but a walk to Reyes and the second of Podsednik’s homers swung momentum firmly in favor of Cherry.
Neither team scored in the sixth, but Cherry put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh sending 10 men to the plate and scoring five runs. Only one of those runs were earned and the biggest hit of the frame was a bases-clearing single with tow outs off the bat of Garrett Thornton.
Stambler got the win for Cherry and pitched 3.2 innings and struck out six. Arthur Steinkamp, Drew Marrufo and Chase Spinning also saw action. The three out of the bullpen combined for just one hit allowed and two strikeouts.
Trevor Riley was the starter for Silver and suffered the loss. Riley did strikeout four. Luck McCollough Cole Shoepke, Trace Bucey and Connor Mang also pitched in the game for Silver.
Game Two of the series is scheduled for a 6 p.m. first-pitch on Friday night out at Santa Ana Star Field.
Cherry breaks open game one late
