Lobos drop series to Spartans Saturday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A big inning proved costly for the second straight day for the New Mexico baseball team, which fell 14-3 at the hands of San Jose State on Saturday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field.
The Spartans used a five-run sixth inning to win Friday’s game 8-3, before plating seven runs in a decisive sixth inning on Saturday to claim the three-game series 2-1. The Spartans improved to 15-11 overall and 8-4 in conference play, while UNM slipped to 16-13 overall and 6-8 in league contests.
Reed Spenrath wrapped up an outstanding weekend at the plate, going 4-for-4 to bring his series hitting line to 9-for-12 with seven RBIs. Deylan Pigford, Lenny Junior Ashby, and Chase Weissenborn had two hits apiece, with New Mexico totaling 13 knocks on the game while stranding 10 runners on base.
Jack Colette was 4-for-6 with a home run, two triples, and a double, driving in five runs and scoring three times to lead the Spartan offense. Hunter Dorraugh was 3-for-5, while James Shimashita and Robert Hamchuk had two hits each. SJSU racked up 15 hits on the day, while stranding 11 runners on base in the victory.
UNM starter Isaac Gallegos was one off his season high with six strikeouts, but couldn’t escape the lengthy sixth inning. He suffered his first loss of the year, allowing eight runs – two earned – on nine hits with six strikeouts and four walks. Justin Still and Brett Russell combined to throw the final 2 1/3 innings. New Mexico committed a season-high six errors in the lopsided defeat.
The game was decided in the top of the sixth inning, when SJSU took advantage of two UNM errors and plated seven runs with four hits. Theo Hardy had the visitors’ third triple of the day, a dagger that scored three runs with two outs.
After Gallegos collected his first two strikeouts of the day, the Lobos thwarted a double-steal attempt by the Spartans to end the first inning. Devon Dixon cut off a throw by Jake Holland down to second, and fired a strike back to the Lobo catcher in plenty of time to nail Jack Colette at home.
Konner Kinkade had UNM’s first hit of the day in the bottom of the first, but was stranded in scoring position as the game got off to a scoreless start.
Gallegos faced trouble again in the second inning, with a pair of walks putting two runners on with two outs. The right hander dug deep, and stranded two more runners with his third strikeout of the day.
Spenrath’s first triple in a Lobo uniform came at the outset of the bottom of the second, and Jake Holland gave the Lobos the lead with an RBI-single into center field.
The Spartans evened the score in the top of the third, taking advantage of an error that allowed Colette to score after his second triple of the game.
Ashby beat the shift in the bottom of the third with a ground ball into the left-field corner for his team-leading ninth double of the season. Braydon Runion followed with a clutch two-out, RBI-single into center field to nudge the Lobos back in front 2-1.
SJSU pulled ahead in the top of the fourth, as back-to-back singles by Jeriah Lewis and Hamchuk preceded Colette’s third extra-base hit of the day. This time it was a two-run double to right-center, as the Spartans pushed ahead 3-2. Holland cut down Colette trying to steal third, and Gallegos ended the inning with his fourth strikeout.
Lewis had the top defensive play of the series in the bottom of the fourth, as he prevented the Lobos from pulling even on a hard fly ball by Deylan Pigford. On a full sprint, Lewis twisted and snagged the ball just shy of the warning track to rob Pigford of a sure double.
Spenrath kept his big weekend going in the bottom of the fifth, punching an RBI-single up the middle to score Kinkade and tie the game at 3-3. An ensuing walk drawn by Justin Olson loaded the bases, but a sharp line drive off the bat of Devon Dixon was right at second baseman Charles McAdoo as the Lobos stranded three.
After their big sixth inning, the Spartans tacked on one more in the seventh on an RBI-double by Dalton Bowling, and a three-run home run by Colette in the eighth to cap the scoring.
LOBO NOTES: The Lobos are now 27-19-1 all-time against the Spartans and are 18-6 in home games…Spenrath’s triple was the fourth of his collegiate career.
NEXT WEEK: New Mexico hosts NCAA Division II Colorado State-Pueblo in a pair of midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday at Santa Ana Star Field. The Lobos are off from Mountain West play next week, and will return to league play on April 21 with a three-game series at Air Force.