Smith the walk-off hero as Lobos sweep Fresno State

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Kyle Smith smoked a walk-off, RBI-single up the middle in the bottom of the 10th inning on Sunday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field, prompting the New Mexico baseball team to a dramatic 6-5 win over visiting Fresno State to complete a three-game Mountain West series sweep.

Smith ended a game that tilted heavily towards both teams before all was said and done, with what proved to be the final blow among a series of plays that rescued the Lobos from defeat. New Mexico improved to 22-17 overall, and pulled its conference record even at 10-10 to move into fourth place in the standings. Fresno State meanwhile fell to 21-22 overall, and is now 11-13 in league play with the defeat.

The late dramatics started in the top of the ninth inning, with the Bulldogs trailing 4-3 and facing defeat. A pinch-hit single by Michael McKernan followed by two walks loaded the bases with two outs, before Nikoh Mitchell stunned the home crowd with a go-ahead two-run single to right-center that gave the Bulldogs their first lead since the top of the first inning. Fresno State was down to its final strike on six different pitches during the inning, but managed to hang on and take the lead.

Undeterred by the unexpected change in momentum, the Lobos held their ground and pulled even in the bottom of the ninth. Smith started the game-saving rally with a walk, before Jeffrey David singled to give UNM a pair of baserunners. Konner Kinkade delivered the biggest hit of the game up to that point, splitting the gap in left-center with a game-tying double that brought the score to 5-5. Fresno State avoided the loss temporarily, with reliever Tommy Hopfe striking out two Lobos to strand the bases loaded and get the game to extra innings.

The tides again appeared to shift in favor of the visitors in the top of the 10th, when Bobby Blandford led off with a single, Payton Allen doubled, and an ensuing intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. This time it was reliever Brian McBroom who saved the day, as he struck out McKernan before inducing a pair of foul-ball popups handled by Smith at first base as the Bulldogs left the bases loaded.

New Mexico left no doubt in the bottom of the 10th, with Deylan Pigford notching a leadoff single and Sean Stephens scampering to first to beat out a bunt single. After getting ahead in the count 1-0, Smith rocketed a ground ball past the dive of second baseman Ben Newton that gave the speedy Pigford plenty of time to score the winning run from second base.

The walk-off winner was New Mexico’s fourth of the season, and it was the second in Smith’s career after he got the job done in UNM’s 13-12 win over Air Force on May 20, 2022 in Albuquerque.

After homering three times and driving in eight runs in Saturday’s 17-7 win over the Bulldogs, Justin Olson kept the momentum going as he demolished his fourth home run of the weekend over the fence in right field in the bottom of the second inning. Olson finished the game 2-for-3, and on the weekend the slugger was 5-for-8 with nine RBIs.

Jake Holland hit his 12th home run of the season, a two-run blast that also came in the bottom of the second inning and gave UNM its first lead of the day. Sean Stephens connected on his first long ball of the year, crushing a solo shot over the fence in left-center in the bottom of the fourth.

Lobo starter Isaac Gallegos and Bulldog starter Trevor Garcia were at their best in the series finale, each going seven strong innings to keep the game in the balance to the very end. Gallegos struck out seven, while allowing three runs – two earned – on five hits with two walks in the 113-pitch effort. Garcia meanwhile allowed four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and one walk while throwing 104 pitches.

A defensive miscue aided the Bulldogs in taking the lead in the top of the first inning for the third game in-a-row, and a double off the bat of Hopfe made the score 1-0. Gallegos worked around the unearned run, and struck out three hitters over his first two innings of the day.

After crushing a season-high seven home runs in Saturday’s 17-7 victory, the Lobos picked up right where they left off with two long balls in the bottom of the second inning. Reed Spenrath led off the inning with his third triple of the year, before Holland smashed his 12th home run of the year over the hitter’s eye in center field. Stephens followed with his first home run of the season, a solo shot that cleared the fence in left-center to make the score 3-1.

A ground ball off the bat of Mitchell hit the first-base bag and turned into a double, which set up an eventual RBI-ground out by Bobby Blandford to pull the Bulldogs within one down 3-2 in the top of the third. Garcia responded with his second shut down inning of the day, retiring the Lobos in order including his third strikeout of the day.

Stephens and Holland both contributed on the defensive side of the ball in the top of the fourth, with Stephens making a diving catch on a full sprint in center field and Holland reacting quickly to handle a bunt popup. Olson’s fourth home run of the weekend was a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, as he blasted a deep drive over the fence in right field to make the score 4-2.

That was the last of the scoring for the Lobos against Garcia, who allowed just two baserunners over his final three innings. Hopfe came through again in the top of the fifth, punching an RBI-single into right field that brought home Travis Welker and got Fresno State back within one run. After Hopfe’s run-scoring single in the fifth, Gallegos finished his outing by retiring the final eight hitters he faced while striking out four hitters in that span.

Mitchell and Hopfe each had two hits and two RBIs to lead Fresno State, which stranded 10 runners on base and struck out nine times in the game.

LOBO NOTES: New Mexico is now 35-34-1 all-time against Fresno State and is 22-9 in games played in Albuquerque…Holland’s home run was the 19th of his collegiate career…Stephens’ home run was the 10th of his collegiate career and his fourth as a Lobo…McBroom picked up his fourth win of the season…Sunday was New Mexico’s third extra inning game of the year, as the Lobos improved to 2-1 in extra-inning contests.

NEXT UP: The Lobos host rival New Mexico State on Tuesday night for the third of four scheduled meetings between the teams this season. The Rio Grande Rivalry sits even at 1-1 thus far. New Mexico then returns to conference play next weekend with a three-game series at UNLV in Las Vegas.