Lobos drop finale at UNLV 8-3
LAS VEGAS – Completing a Mountain West series win on Sunday at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, host UNLV defeated the New Mexico baseball team 8-3 in the finale of a three-game set.
The Rebels struck first and never looked back, capping the series win with a four-run seventh inning that proved to be the decisive factor in the game. UNLV improved to 19-26 overall and 10-14 in conference play with the victory.
Lobo starter Isaac Gallegos had a season-high eight strikeouts, and limited the Rebels to four runs on six hits in his six innings of work. Justin Olson hit his 11th home run of the season, and Lenny Junior Ashby led UNM at the plate going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. New Mexico slipped to 24-19 on the season and is now 11-12 in conference play with the loss.
Just as they did on Saturday, the Rebels got out to an early lead as they brought around a pair of runs on an RBI-single by Jacob Sharp and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Edarian Williams.
UNLV starter Zack Simon handled the Lobos well his first time through the lineup, allowing just a pair of singles in the first three innings to keep his team ahead 2-0. The Rebels added to their lead in the fourth, with a sacrifice fly by Paul Myro making it a 3-0 ballgame.
New Mexico broke through in the top of the fifth, with Olson hitting a leadoff home run and Ashby delivering an RBI-single to make the score 3-2. Gallegos picked up two more strikeouts in the bottom of the inning, but UNLV pushed across another run this time on an RBI-single off the bat of Rylan Charles.
Gallegos worked around a leadoff triple by Williams in the sixth, striking out two more hitters in his final inning of the game as he exited with his team down 4-2. The Lobos scratched out one run in the top of the seventh, when Ashby brought home Chase Weissenborn from second with an RBI-single to get UNM within a run.
The Rebels broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh however, scoring four times on RBIs from four different players. Charles got the action going with an RBI-triple, before Kade Higgins and Williams delivered back-to-back run-scoring hits. Myro capped the game-altering frame with an RBI-ground out, giving the Rebels an 8-3 advantage with six defensive outs left to get.
Arthur Steinkamp got the Lobos out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth, as the left-hander prevented the Rebels from building upon their five-run lead.
New Mexico failed to mount a late rally however, as Reese Lueck picked up his first save of the year allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two in 2 1/3 shutout innings to finish the game. Simon earned the win, allowing three runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and a walk across 6 2/3 innings.
Charles and Higgins each had three hits for the hosts, who totaled 12 knocks in the game and left 10 runners on base. UNM by comparison managed 11 hits and stranded nine runners aboard.
LOBO NOTES: UNM is now 86-102 all-time against UNLV and is 42-73 in road games against the Rebels…Olson’s home run was the 22nd of his collegiate career…Gallegos’ previous single-game high for strikeouts this season was seven, which he achieved on two previous occasions…Steinkamp posted his fourth consecutive scoreless appearance out of the bullpen, extending his string to 8.0 shutout innings.
NEXT WEEK: The Lobos have their final home series of the year, with a special four-game set against Nevada kicking off on Friday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field.