Lobos run winning streak to five with 8-4 win at Incarnate Word
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of New Mexico baseball team opened up their five-game road trip this week on a positive note as they knocked off Incarnate Word by a score of 8-4 on Tuesday night out at Sullivan Field.
The win for the Lobos (13-4) pushed their current winning streak to five games and gives them their second such winning streak of the season.
In Tuesday night’s game, the Lobos were the first ones to score in the game as they plated a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. In that frame, Connor Mang led off with a first-pitch double to left field. Ediberto Reyes then got on base via a hit-by-pitch in the next at-bat. Australian Slugger Harry Fullerton then tripled to right-centerfield to score both Mang and Reyes.
That lead did not last long however as the Cardinals (9-6) scored twice themselves in the bottom of the second inning. The first run of the inning came on a leadoff home run off Lobo starter Tristin Lively after a lengthy at-bat that saw nine pitches. Lively nearly escaped the inning without any further damage, but the walk issued right after the home run came around to score on a passed ball, tying the game at 2-all.
After neither team scored in the third, Fullerton put the Lobos back on top in the fourth with a solo home run to deep left-centerfield. An inning later, the Lobo lead was three runs as UNM scored twice in the fifth.
In that inning, the Lobo scored those two runs without the benefit of a hit. Justin Watari led things off with a walk. He then got third during the next at-bat thanks to a failed pickoff attempt sailed up the first base line. Kyle Landers then walked to put runners at the corners. The Lobos then sent Landers in motion and the throw to try to nail Landers ended up in centerfield, allowing Watari to score easily and Landers to make third with no outs. Kyler Castillo then drove in Landers with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
A scoreless sixth inning gave way to the seventh where the Cardinals scratched across a run to make it a 5-3 game. The Lobos answered right back in the next half inning and got that run back as Lance Russell scored on a wild pitch. In the bottom of the eighth, Incarnate Word pulled back to within two runs scoring on a throwing error.
The Lobos would go on to score a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth to take an 8-4 lead. In that inning, the Lobos got a RBI single from Castillo and a RBI walk by Shane Podsednik.
Those two runs of insurance would be more than enough as Payton Strambler came on for the bottom of the ninth and made quick work of the Cardinals, striking out the side in order.
Stambler’s dominant inning of work came in relief of Miguel Reyes Jr., who came on in relief of the starter Lively. Lively would work 5.0 innings and earned the win as he improved to 2-0 on the season. Reyes Jr. ended up pitching 3.0 innings and striking out three while allowing two runs (one earned).
The Lobos and Cardinals will conclude their two-game mid-week series on Wednesday night out at Sullivan Field. First-pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (MT).