Lobos drop heartbreaker in series opener vs. SDSU

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico and San Diego State University baseball teams renewed their rivalry on Friday night at Santa Ana Star Field, and the opener of the three-game weekend series was a closely-contested game that came down to the final half inning. After taking a 4-0 lead through five innings, SDSU had to hold off a late-inning rally by UNM and eventually took the opener 4-2.
 
With it being a Friday night game, both teams sent their aces to the mound and both lived up to the billing as they each pitched at least 7.0 strong innings respectively.
 
UNM ace Justin Slaten was on the unfortunate downside of the decision as he was charged with all four of the Aztecs (12-8, 3-2 MW) runs in the game. Despite that, Slaten was nearly unhittable at times, especially with the breaking ball. Slaten, who was perfect through three innings, racked up eight strikeouts.
 
Through those first three innings, Slaten was downright dominant as he had half of his strikeout total for the game during that time.
 
In the fourth, Slaten walked the leadoff batter on four pitches. A sacrifice bunt followed that nearly could have been a double play as well put that leadoff batter to second with one out. The game changed drastically in the next at-bat as Angelo Armenta pulled a pitch down the right field line for a controversial two-run home run. Initially the ball, which had home run distance but was right down the line, was ruled foul. That decision was then overruled. The next two men reached off Slaten leading to a fielder’s choice that pushed across a third run in the inning.
 
In the fifth, SDSU plated their fourth run after a leadoff triple came in to score. After that inning, Slaten pitched the sixth and seventh innings scoreless with four swinging strikeouts.
 
Slaten’s opposition, Aaron Eden, was just as good on the mound for the Aztecs.
 
Eden would work around three hits by the Lobos (11-10, 3-4 MW) through the first three innings before receiving the offensive support. After that, Eden did not allow a hit and only one base runner in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Lobos would get a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh by Tanner Baker, but an inning-ending double play ended that threat.
 
Eden then came back on the for the eighth, but the Lobos were finally able to chase him from the start in the inning after singles from Brayden Merritt and Hayden Schilling put runners on the corners with one out. The Aztec reliever that emerged from the bullpen walked Jared Mang on four pitches to load the bases, but a second-straight inning-ending double play kept the Lobos scoreless.
 
Still trailing 4-0, the Lobos attempted to mound another rally in the ninth. This time it was Baker leading off with a double. A wild pitch then moved Baker to third and Jeff Deimling reached first on an error by the Aztecs’ third baseman. Micah Pietla-Wiggs then pinch-ran for Deimling. A batter later, Pietla-Wiggs raced all the way around from first to score thanks to a two-RBI double off the bat of Ediberto Reyes, making it a 4-2 game.
 
Another SDSU pitching change came following Reyes’ double and another four-pitch walk occurred to the first man faced. Unfortunately, the double play came back to get the Lobos for a third-straight inning. This one didn’t end the inning, but it did take away any momentum that the Lobos were building and helped the Aztecs escape with a 4-2 win.
 
The Lobos and Aztecs will be back at it tomorrow for the second game of the series. First-pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Santa Ana Star Field.