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Isaac Gallegos threw a season-high eight innings on Sunday, helping the Lobos to a 7-2 triumph over Fresno State in the series finale.

Behind Gallegos’ gem, Lobos win finale 7-2

by Evan O'Kelly

FRESNO, Calif. – Isaac Gallegos struck out a season-high seven hitters in eight stellar innings on Sunday afternoon at Pete Beiden Field, pitching the New Mexico baseball team to a 7-2 Mountain West Conference win over Fresno State in the series finale.

The junior right-hander scattered six hits while walking just one on the way to his fourth win of the season. “He was outstanding,” said UNM head coach Tod Brown. “We didn’t play great defense behind him, but he went out and competed to give us a good chance to win.”


The Lobos snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory, lifting their record to 12-7 on the season and an even 3-3 in Mountain West play. “Last night was about as difficult of a loss as I’ve ever had,” Brown said on UNM’s 9-8 defeat on Saturday night. “To bounce back the way we did today was huge.”


Jeffrey David went 2-for-3 including a big two-run single during the Lobos’ five-run second inning, which proved to be the difference in the ballgame. Dylan Ditzenberger was 2-for-5, Devon Dixon was 2-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season, and Chase Weissenborn had a pair of hits as well. “We capitalized with a couple of big hits,” said Brown. “It all came together, and we took advantage of some mistakes and got some big hits.”


Weissenborn had a stellar defensive play to get Gallegos out of a jam in the bottom of the first, scooping a tricky short hop up the middle and getting a hand from first baseman Reed Spenrath to complete an inning-ending double play.


The Lobos loaded the bases in the top of the second inning, with a single by Jake Holland sandwiched by walks to Braydon Runion and Deylan Pigford. Weissenborn delivered a two-run single to make the score 2-0, and Ditzenberger followed with an RBI-single to extend his reached base streak to 32 games and his hitting streak to 15 games. David capped the rally with a two-run single, as the Lobos pulled ahead 5-0.

The Bulldogs (10-8, 4-4 MW) took advantage of a fielding miscue in the bottom of the second to plate a pair of runs with two outs, but Gallegos bounced back with a 1-2-3 third inning including his second strikeout of the afternoon.

A leadoff single by Bobby Blandford in the fourth didn’t bother Gallegos, who retired the next three hitters including ending the inning with his third strikeout to keep the score at 5-2 in favor of the Lobos.

After committing an error in the bottom of the fifth, Weissenborn made up for it with a run-saving play to end the inning. On a sharply struck ground ball off the bat of Grady Morgan, the junior dove to his back-hand side and made a strong throw to Spenrath just in time to nab the runner.

Gallegos used a double play in the sixth to face the minimum, and retired the final seven hitters that he faced to set UNM up three outs away from victory.

Devon Dixon provided the Lobos with an insurance run in the top of the ninth, homering for the second straight day to make the score 7-2. Sophomore Justin Still got through an uneventful bottom of the ninth, using a diving play by Ditzenberger on a line drive, a strike out, and a routine fly out to secure the win.


New Mexico left just four runners on base in the efficient offensive performance, scoring seven times on nine hits.


LOBO NOTES: UNM is now 32-34-1 all-time against Fresno State and is 11-24-1 in road games against the Bulldogs…Dixon’s home run was the 10th of his collegiate career…Gallegos threw a collegiate career-high nine innings on May 6, 2022 during his career at Trinidad State College…his previous season highs were six innings and six strikeouts on March 12 against Air Force.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Lobos are next in action at home on Tuesday night, with a 6 p.m. first pitch scheduled against rival New Mexico State University. Conference play resumes next weekend with a three-game road series against Nevada.