Lobos Downed in Home Opener vs. South Dakota State
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico Baseball fell to South Dakota State 11-5 in the Lobos’ Home Opener at Santa Ana Star Field on Thursday, with the Lobos (2-3) plating five runs between the seventh and the ninth and loading the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before the Jackrabbits (3-2) stranded all three to cut the rally short.
The Lobos will get a chance to even up the series in tomorrow’s Game Two, set for a 2 p.m. first pitch.
LHP Jaren Jackson went four innings on the mound in the start for UNM and struck out six but was tagged for seven earned runs on nine hits. RHP Brett Russell (5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 0 BB) took over from there, with four runs (2 ER) getting across while he was on the mound in the fifth before he held the Jackrabbits hitless the rest of the way, retiring 12 consecutive batters to close the game. Russell’s eight punchouts match a career high he first set on March 5, 2022 against San Jose State.
Trailing 11-0 and held to just two hits through six frames, UNM pushed three runs across in the seventh on a pair of two-out extra base hits from Devon Dixon and Sean Stephens to break up the shutout and cut the deficit to eight runs. After a scoreless top of the ninth, UNM threatened a dramatic rally after holding SDSU scoreless for a fourth straight inning, loading the bases and getting a fourth run across on a bases-loaded walk from Khalil Walker. After a flyout from Will Asby, Jake Holland connected on a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to six but leave the Lobos without any more outs to give. Spenrath walked in the next at-bat to load the bases once more and put the Lobos in a position to put a real dent in the Jackrabbits’ lead with one swing of the bat, but a lineout in the next at-bat ended the game.
Along with Dixon and Stephens, Reed Spenrath, Josh McAlister, Konner Kinkade, Tye Wood, Khalil Walker and Jake Holland all finished with a hit each for UNM, with Holland’s double being his second of the season. Spenrath’s hit was his first of the season and he drew a walk for the fifth-straight game to extend his on-base streak dating eight games dating to last season — Wood, Walker, Kinkade and Stephens all drew one base on balls each.
In the four games he has appeared in, Wood has finished with a hit and a run in each, drawing walks in each of his last three games.
Dixon’s first two-bagger of the season produced one RBI, with Stephens’ triple – UNM’s first this season – driving in two more. Walker and Holland both added one RBI each in the ninth.
UP NEXT / FOLLOW THE GAME
This weekend’s series continues tomorrow, with Game Two set for a 2 p.m. first pitch. RHP David Lopez (1-0, 5.0 IP, 2 K, 2 BB, 3.60 ERA) is set to make his second start on the mound for UNM against RHP Arlen Peters (0-0, 4.0 IP, 3 K, 4 BB, 6.75 ERA). Live stats are available via GoLobos.com/BSBStats, with streaming at GoLobos.com/Watch — follow @UNMLoboBaseball on Instagram and X for live updates, highlights and more.