Heartbreak in Arizona; Lobos fall to Gonzaga 5-4
SURPRISE, Ariz. – The highs and lows of a baseball game played out over the course of one inning in the University of New Mexico baseball team’s final game of Opening Weekend in Surprise, Ariz. as they took on Gonzaga on Monday afternoon at Surprise Stadium.
In this case, it was the decisive ninth inning that featured all the theatrics and heartbreak. Trailing 2-0, the Lobos (2-2) had the bases loaded, but had two outs and were down to their final strike. Senior second baseman Justin Watari then came up clutch with a bases-clearing triple to right-centerfield to give the Lobos a 3-2 lead. Warati scored a run himself on a passed ball on a walk to Kemuel Thomas-Rivera in the at-bat following, giving the Lobos a 4-2 lead.
T9 | JUSTIN WATARI!!!! Down to our final strike, Wat drills a bases-clearing triple to right-centerfield! We now lead 3-2! @FloBaseball | WATCH: https://t.co/DvoP86PKl5#GoLobos pic.twitter.com/tBdjxNmueO
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) February 17, 2020
Suddenly in the lead, the Lobos went to the bullpen and called upon Miguel Reyes Jr. to potentially close out the game. The Bulldogs drew consecutive walks against Reyes Jr. and prompted the Lobos to go the bullpen once more, this time for Payton Strambler.
Strambler would register a strikeout of the first man he faced then issued a full-count walk to load the bases. The two-run lead was cut in half in the next at-bat as the Bulldogs got a sacrifice fly out to deep left field to make it a 4-3 game. The other two base runners also advanced on the play putting the tying run at third and potential winning run at second.
In the next at-bat, the high of a potential victory turned into the lows of a heartbreaking loss as a throw from the Lobos’ shortstop was just up the first base line and pulled Kyle Landers off the bag. As he was coming off the bag to handle the throw, Landers attempted a swipe tag on the runner going by, but safe was the call, and with two outs, the potential winning run was able to score from second, giving the Bulldogs the walk-off win.
Prior to all of the craziness of the ninth inning that saw seven total runs scored, the game was an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel that did not see the first run cross the plate until the bottom of the sixth.
Lobo starter Justin Armbruester made his debut and the junior right-hander was solid on the mound as he scattered five hits, did not issue a walk and struck out five in 6.0 innings of work. The lone run surrendered by Armbruester came with two outs in the sixth.
The Lobos will now head home and prepare for their first games of the season at Santa Ana Star Field as they play host to Northern Colorado this coming weekend. The three-game series is scheduled to begin on Friday, February 21 at 3 p.m.