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Sean Stephens (left) had his first-career walk-off hit to help UNM to a 12-inning victory over Minnesota.

Stephens delivers walk-off winner in the 12th

by Evan O'Kelly

SURPRISE, Ariz. – In a game filled with clutch, dramatic moments, New Mexico junior Sean Stephens delivered the final blow as his walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning lifted the Lobos to a 4-3 win over Minnesota in the finale of the Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic at Surprise Stadium on Monday.

After working ahead in the count 2-1 against Minnesota reliever Connor Wietegrefe – who had allowed just three hits in 3 2/3 shutout innings of work to that point – Stephens punched a line drive into the gap in right-center that was deep enough to score Chase Weissenborn from second base and end the four-hour affair. “I was hoping I could get the job done, and I just wanted another chance after the 10th,” Stephens said referencing his fly out in the 10th inning with the winning run at second. “My second time up I told myself to see the ball better and be more simple with it, and not try to do too much. It was super fun when I got to first and looked over at my teammates who were getting hyped. It was an adrenaline rush.”

Stephens’ first-career walk-off hit came after the biggest defensive play of the season in the top of the inning. With a runner on third and one out, Jeffrey David caught a line drive before firing a strike to home plate from right field for a double play that prevented the Gophers from taking the lead. “That ball was a top-spun line drive that I caught on the run, and I had momentum going in,” David said. “Kyle (Smith) made a great play on the short hop, and it was a great play all around.”

Lenny Junior Ashby’s first home run of the year was equally as important as Stephens’ walk-off hit, as it came with the Lobos trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning. On a day where he had a career-high four hits, Weissenborn got the eighth inning started with his third hit of the day. That set the table for Ashby to win an eight-pitch at-bat against Gopher reliever Seth Clauson and blast the 3-2 pitch over the fence in right field for a 2-run shot. “I told some of my teammates that was probably one of the best and most clutch at bats I’ve ever seen,” Stephens said on Ashby’s home run. “Their guy was throwing 94, and Lenny already hit two foul bombs in the same at bat. Watching the third one go out fair was incredible. It was a crazy at-bat.”

Terrell Hudson earned his first win of the year and fourth in his Lobo career, throwing three shutout frames with three hits, a strikeout, and a walk to finish the game on the mound. UNM improved to 3-1 with the victory, while Minnesota slipped to 0-4 at the outset of its 2023 campaign.

David was 3-for-5 for UNM, Weissenborn was 4-for-5, and Deylan Pigford had a pair of hits in a game where the Lobos totaled 12 knocks and left eight on base.

Brady Counsell led the Gophers with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate, while Sam Hunt was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two walks. Minnesota had 14 hits and 14 runners left on.

Hunt got the Gophers on the board in the top of the second inning, roping an RBI-double into the left-field corner to bring Riley Swenson across the plate. UNM starter Jaren Jackson did well to limit the damage to a single run, digging deep for back-to-back strikeouts and a ground out to strand two runners in scoring position.

The Lobos got a boost from Braydon Runion in the top of the third inning, when he made one of the top defensive plays of the week. On a hard-hit single off the bat of Jake Perry, Runion charged threw the ball and fired a strike to Kyle Smith at home to get Counsell trying to score from second on the play. “It was very impressive,” said David, after the Lobos committed zero errors in 39 innings played over their opening four games of the season. “Credit to (Matt) Risdon, (Nate) Causey, and (Tod) Brown. Our caches do a great job with us, and we practice and work on every situation. Every guy playing is comfortable in their position, and we are just ready for it.”

Gopher centerfielder Brett Bateman appeared to match Runion’s heroics in the bottom of the third inning, when he threw home and Pigford was called out on a bang-bang play. After an umpire review however, the call was overturned to pull the Lobos even at 1-1 on the first RBI of the season by Weissenborn.

Devon Dixon kept the theme of outstanding defense going in the top of the fourth inning, diving to his right to snag a low line drive off the bat of Jake Larson and take away a base hit.

Minnesota starter Richie Holetz got out of a first-and-third jam in the bottom of the fifth, dialing up a double-play ball to end the inning and strand the go-ahead run on third base. The right-hander finished with a no-decision, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk while throwing 80 pitches.

Jackson got through his five innings managing baserunners in each frame, allowing one run on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk and throwing 95 pitches. Making his 2023 debut on the mound, Justin Still helped bridge the gap to the late innings with a pair of shutout frames while allowing one hit and two walks and striking out two.

The Gophers broke through in the top of the eighth, when Sam Hunt muscled a one-out, RBI-single into center field to make the score 2-1. Brian McBroom limited the damage to a single run, getting out of the jam with a strikeout and a fly ball.

Ashby’s dramatic home run in the eighth swung momentum into the hands of the Lobos, who moved three outs away from victory. The Gophers stayed alive in the top of the ninth however, with Counsell roping an RBI-single to right field that allowed Bateman to slide home safely ahead of a tag by Smith to tie the score.

The Lobos put the winning run on second with no outs in the bottom of the 10th, but Wietegrefe sandwiched a fly out with a pair of strikeouts to get out of the jam and keep the game going.

David followed Weissenborn’s leadoff single with his third hit of the game in the 12th, and then focused on getting to second base before celebrating Stephens’ game winner. “It was super awesome, and we felt really confident with him in the box,” David said on Stephens’ walk-off hit. “I knew he was on time and seeing the ball well, and I had all the confidence in the world. Once he hit it up the middle, I knew my run didn’t mean anything so I made sure I got to second then went to go celebrate. Right off the bat I knew it was going to get down and secure the win.”

LOBO NOTES: UNM is now 2-2 overall against Minnesota and is 2-1 in neutral site games between the teams…Ditzenberger extended his reached-base streak to 18 games with his walk drawn in the bottom of the 10th inning…the home run was the 18th of Ashby’s Lobo career and the 33rd of his collegiate career overall…it was UNM’s first walk-off victory since Smith capped a seven-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning with a two-run single on May 20, 2022 against Air Force.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Lobos make their 2023 home debut this weekend at Santa Ana Star Field, with a four-game series against Northern Colorado kicking off on Friday afternoon.