Ninth-Inning Rally Not Enough as Lobos Fall in Series Opener at Nevada

RENO, Nev. — The University of New Mexico baseball team rallied in the final frame but were unable to complete the comeback as they fell, 18-10, to the Nevada Wolf Pack in the series opener on Friday night at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park in Reno, Nev.

Lenny Junior Ashby and Kyle Landers led the Lobos with two hits apiece. Ashby went 2-for-4 with a run and four RBI, while Landers went 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI. Southpaw Matt Haley earned his first Friday start, going 5.0 innings pitched and allowing six runs on eight hits.

The first inning went scoreless as Haley sat the Wolf Pack down on two ground outs and ended the frame with a swinging strikeout.

Nevada opened up scoring in the bottom of the second as they brought around four runs on five hits to take a 4-0 advantage. The third and fourth innings went on without a score change, before the Lobos put one on the board in the fifth. After Braydon Runion popped up, Landers doubled to right center to be in scoring position for Willie Cano. On the second pitch he saw, Cano hit a single to right field to bring home Landers and cut the Lobo deficit to 4-1.

Nevada loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth but Haley was able to work himself out of the jam and get out of the inning unscathed. In the next frame, the Lobos went to work. Willman walked, before he advanced to third on a double by Jeffrey David. Then, Ashby stepped up to the plate and singled to left center to bring home both Willman and David. Runion then singled to drive in Ashby and knot the game at 4-4.

The Wolf Pack took advantage of the Lobos’ pitching troubles in the bottom of the inning as New Mexico went through five pitchers in the frame and allowed seven runs as Nevada regained a 11-4 lead. Nevada tacked on another seven runs through the seventh and eighth to extend their advantage to 18-4.

New Mexico did not let the disadvantage scare them as they exploded in the top of the ninth. Landers got things started on the right note as he hit a solo home run to left field to start the frame.

The next batter fouled out to put the Lobos down to two outs to stage a comeback. Now at the designated hitter spot, Kyle Smith doubled to left field to put a runner in scoring position. Then, Cody Holtz reached and K. Smith advanced to third on an error by the Wolf Pack’s leftfielder. Chase Weissenborn then walked to load up the bases for team captain Willman.

Down 1-2 in the pitch count and fouling off three straight pitches, Willman was due for a hit. He doubled to left center to bring home two as K. Smith and Holtz came in to score.

After a Nevada pitching change, David walked on four pitches to once again load the bases. Ashby hit a single to right field to bring home Weissenborn and Willman and advance David to third.

After another pitching change by the Wolf Pack, Ashby advanced to second and David scored on a wild pitch to make the score 18-10, still in favor of Nevada.

The Lobos were unable to put another run on the board in the frame, ultimately falling to Nevada in the series opener by a final score of 18-10.

New Mexico’s record falls to 17-27 overall and 8-17 in Mountain West action, while Nevada’s record improves to 24-20 overall and 14-8 in conference play.

The Lobos and Wolf Pack resume the three-game conference series on Saturday night. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Don Weir Field.

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