Lobos Prevail Over Washington 5-3 in 12

SEATTLE, Wash. — Connor Mang’s RBI infield single off the glove of a diving third baseman plated Kyle Landers in the 12^th inning, leading to a three-run frame as the Lobos picked up a thrilling 5-3 come-from-behind victory.  The win evened the series at 1-1 and sets up a rubber match on Sunday at 2 p.m. Mountain Time.

The big 12^th inning made a winner out of Terrell Hudson, who pitched 1.1 innings and saved the game in the 11^th with an incredible defensive play.  With a runner on third and one out, Washington’s Nick Kresnak laid down a safety squeeze in an attempt to score Kaiser Weiss.  The bunt was in front of Hudson, and he fielded the ball and made the only play he could, diving to just tag Weiss before he scored.

He got a strikeout to end the frame, and that set up UNM’s 12^th.  Kyle Landers led it off with a double into the right center gap, and after a Shane Podsednik sacrifice and a Chase Weissenborn intentional walk, Mang stepped to the plate.  He laced a 2-0 pitch off the glove of Dalton Chandler to give UNM the 3-2 lead.  Mack Chambers followed with an RBi single and then Kyler Castillo hit a double to score another, giving UNM a 5-2 lead.

UNM turned three-run lead over to former starter Aaron Makil, who allowed a run on three hits (two of them of the infield variety) but nailed down his first career save.  Overall, he was the seventh pitcher used by the Lobos, and helped Hudson to his first win of the season.  Overall, UNM’s bullpen of Miguel Reyes, Jr., Arthur Steinkamp, Bobby Meza, Matt Haley, Hudson and Makil allowed just one run in seven innings with four strikeouts.

“UNM and the University of Washington are very similar teams with the same level of play in these COVID times, as are we and Kansas State who we split with earlier this season,” said Ray Birmingham.” It depends on who got to practice more and who had to quarantine more.”

T12 | This is #MANGNIFICENT as Connor Mang lines an infield single to plate Landers, and it’s 3-2 Lobos. Still two on and one out and Washington with a pitching change. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/hzVJt8JMiO

— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) April 25, 2021

UNM was down 2-0 but tied it with single runs in the sixth and seventh.  In the sixth, Mang pinch hit and was hit by a pitch, and he eventually came around on a Chambers single.  In the seventh, Jack Silverman belted a game-tying opposite field home run to right to even things up.

Washington’s two runs came off start Justin Armbruster, who allowed five hits and struck out five in five innings.  A two-out bases loaded single in the fourth by Kyle Koerper, a former Lobo.

The Huskies missed a golden opportunity thanks to another gem of a play by a Lobo pitcher.  In the seventh inning with runners on first and second, UNM called on Steinkamp in what was his highest-leverage situation of the season.  He hit Braiden Ward to load the bases but he got Ramon Bramasco to ground into a 1-2-3 double play, and then he struck out No. 3 hitter Christian Jones to end the threat.

The game, which did not use the ghost runner for extra innings, took 4:35 to complete, and it featured 46 players used, 25 by Washington and 21 for UNM.  It also featured a two-hour pregame rain delay.