Lobos author third shutout of the season; split twin-bill with Cougars
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Just into the third week of the 2020 season and the University of New Mexico baseball team has already thrown three shutouts as the Lobos blanked visiting BYU by a score of 4-0 in the opening game of Friday’s doubleheader out at Santa Ana Star Field. UNM was unable to secure the sweep in the nightcap however, as BYU’s offense exploded and powered the Cougars to an 18-9 win.
The last time that the Lobos had three shutouts in a season was 2016. That year, the Lobos had three. It was also the last season that the Lobos advanced to a NCAA Regional Tournament.
In that opening game on Friday, the Lobos (7-3) received yet another dominant pitching performance from junior transfer Justin Armbruester. Against the Cougars (6-5), Armbruester pitched 6.0 innings, allowed just two hits, walked none and struck out eight. For Armbruester, it was his third-straight start in which he has pitched 6.0 innings, walked none and struck out at least five batters for the Lobos. On Friday, Armbruester also notched his first win as a Lobo.
For the season, Armbruester is 1-0 with a 0.50 ERA. In 18.0 innings pitched, Armbruester has allowed just nine hits, issued no walks and has struck out 22.
The offensive support for Armbruester against the Cougars started early for the Lobos as they struck for two runs on two hits. All of that damage was done with two outs and was sparked by a four-pitch walk drawn by Kyler Castillo. In the ensuing at-bat, Castillo scored all the way from first base on a triple off the bat of Connor Mang. A batter later, Mang was able to trot home on a double through the left side off the bat of Harry Fullerton.
Those two early runs held up for Armbruester the remainder of his time on the mound with really the only threat coming in the fifth as the Cougars putting a man on third with no outs following a leadoff double and then an advance on a wild pitch. Armbruester beared down striking out the next batter, and then getting a flyout to first base and a lineout to left field to end the inning.
The Lobos added a run of support to Armbruester in the bottom of the sixth on a single up the middle by Adam Schneider that scored Kyle Landers.
After pitching the game to the seventh, Armbruester gave way to his younger brother, Will Armbruester. The true freshman would give up a pair of infield singles to shortstop, but notched a strikeout and induced a flyout before handing over the ball to Matt Haley for a left-on-left matchup after the Cougars made a pinch-hitting substitution. A game of back-and-forth then took place as the Cougars went to their bench once more, this time for a right-handed hitter. Haley would get a flyout to right to end the inning.
Haley then came back out for the eighth inning and struck out the first batter he faced. A one-out single followed by a pinch-hitter prompted the Lobos to go to the bullpen once more, this time for another true freshman in Terrell Hudson. Hudson retired the first man he faced then allowed a single through the left side before getting a grounder to shortstop to end the inning.
On the very first pitch in the bottom of the eighth, the Lobo lead grew to 4-0 as Landers hammered a towering home run out to right field. The homer was Lander’ first as a Lobo.
B8 | GOODBYE BASEBALL! Kyle Landers hammers a solo home run for his first homer as a Lobo to give us a 4-0 lead over BYU! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/vVTBj8J53V
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) February 28, 2020
Now staked to a four-run lead, Hudson came back out to the mound for the ninth. Looking to put the nails down for his first collegiate save, Hudson did so with relative ease as he struck out two batters, both looking with the final one to end the game and give the Lobos their fourth win over the Cougars in as many tries this season.
The second game of the doubleheader, however, was in stark contrast to the first game as the Cougars’ offense got rolling early. Facing game two starter Tristin Lively for the second time this season, the Cougars struck for three runs in the first inning and chased Lively before the inning had concluded.
The Lobos would answer right back with a three-spot of their own in the bottom of the first, but a two-run second inning for BYU put the Cougars ahead for good the rest of the game. The Cougars would go on to score multiple runs in each of the first four innings and did so as well in the sixth and ninth innings.
In that three-run first for the Lobos, Castillo notched a RBI single to left-centerfield, Fullerton recorded a hustle RBI triple down the left field line and Landers capped the scoring with a RBI double.
B1 | Kyler Castillo brings home Justin Watari on a single to left center to put the Lobos on the board! BYU leads 3-1 here in the first. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/YqbESNr9NF
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) February 28, 2020
B1 | Harry Fullerton with a triple down the left-field line brings home Castillo to put the Lobos within one! BYU leads 3-2. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/vEhWmwtxpU
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) February 28, 2020
B1 | Kyle Landers with a clutch hit down the left-field line to bring home the tying run! Lobos and BYU tied at 3 in the first. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/IKJH2y1hIX
— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) February 28, 2020
The Lobos would also go on to score two runs in the fifth, eighth and ninth innings as well.
The fourth and final game of the series between the Lobos and Cougars will take place on Saturday afternoon. First-pitch is scheduled for Noon out at Santa Ana Star Field.