Lobos fall in series finale to Nevada
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico baseball team lost the rubber game of a three-game series with the University of Nevada by a final score of 14-8 on Sunday afternoon out at Santa Ana Star Field in Albuquerque.
The Lobos (16-19, 7-11 MW) out-hit the Wolf Pack (18-17, 8-10 MW) on Sunday 14-12 and for the third-straight game had a pitching strikeout total in double digits, but a seven-run top of the sixth inning for Nevada ultimately proved to be the difference.
Ahead of that big inning, the Lobos had just trimmed a 7-1 deficit down to 7-3 on a two-RBI single to right-centerfield off the bat of Justin Watari in the bottom of the fifth to score Brayden Merritt and Reese O’Farrell.
The Wolf Pack then doubled their score on three hits and a Lobo error in the top of the sixth to pull away at 14-3. The Lobo error in the inning was costly and resulted in the last four of the runs scored by Nevada to be unearned.
Despite the sizable deficit, the Lobos continued to battle in the game and out-scored the Wolf Pack 5-0 over the final three innings of the game. Three of those runs scored in the seventh inning. The first run scored when Jared Mang singled to right-centerfield to score Watari. Tyler Kelly then scored in the next at-bat as Connor Mang singled through the right side. Hayden Schilling followed that up with a double down the left field line to score J. Mang.
That three-run seventh made it a 14-6 game. The Lobos then added their final two runs in the ninth to bring the game to its final of 14-8. In the ninth, C. Mang scored on an error by the Nevada left fielder on what was already a double off the bat of Schilling. Schilling later scored on lineout sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Ediberto Reyes.
The Lobos will continue their seven-game home stand this coming week with four games on tap. The first will be a mid-week clash with in-state rival New Mexico State University on Tuesday, April 16. First-pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. out at Santa Ana Star Field.