Lobos valiant in mid-week defeat to No. 25 Oklahoma
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico baseball team put forth a valiant late inning comeback effort on Wednesday afternoon against No. 25-ranked Oklahoma, but the rally fell just short as the Sooners escaped with an 8-6 win over UNM at Santa Ana Star Field.
Playing the last of a brief two-game series with the Sooners (18-4), the Lobos (11-9) found themselves trailing early as OU scored three runs in the top of the first. Despite the runs crossing for OU, there was a bright side to the top of the first as true freshman right-hander Jack Murano, who was making his first collegiate start, also eventually struck out the side.
It was the lone inning of work for Murano as the Lobos used the mid-week contest to work in a handful of bullpen arms into game situations. All told, the Lobos used eight different pitchers, including Murano, with none working more than 2.0 innings.
After the three-run first, the Sooners were held off the board until the fourth when they scored a run to make it 4-0. OU added two more runs in the fifth and seventh innings to take an 8-0 lead leading up to the seventh inning stretch.
Coming out of the stretch, the Lobos began to fight their way back into the game. The inning started with a double down the left field line by Jeff Diemling. In the next at-bat, Deimling came home for the Lobos’ first run thanks to a RBI single through the right side by Ediberto Reyes. That prompted a move to the OU bullpen.
Brayden Merritt then reached on a fielder’s choice and Reyes was safe at second on a throwing error on the play. In the ensuing at-bat, the once 8-0 deficit was cut in half on one swing of the bat as Derek Marshall Jr. drilled a line-drive home run out to left field to make it an 8-4 game. Prior to the home run hack, Marshall Jr. was showing bunt, pulled the bat back and ambushed a center-cut fastball.
The rally continued in the eighth as the Lobos plated a pair of runs to make it an 8-6 game. That inning started with a single up the middle by Connor Mang. Adam Adkins then pinch-hit and eventually drew a walk to have the first two men reach.
The Sooners then went to the bullpen once more. A wild pitch from the new Sooner hurler advanced Mang and Adkins 90 feet. Following a strikeout, Reyes collected his second RBI of the game as he grounded out to second base. Merritt then followed with a well-placed opposite field single to left to score Adkins.
After another scoreless inning in the top of the ninth, the Lobos were back in business in the bottom half as they once more had the leadoff man reach with Tyler Kelly hitting a single up the middle to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Unfortunately, three-straight fielder’s choices ended the game.
The Lobos will now turn their attention to a weekend series against Mountain West rival San Diego State. The three-game series will be played at Santa Ana Star Field and will begin on Friday, March 22 at 6p.m.