Lobos Walk Off Jackrabbits 12-11 to Even Series

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – After falling behind three times in the second game of its weekend with South Dakota State at Santa Ana Star Field, New Mexico Baseball punched last with two runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Jackrabbits in dramatic fashion, winning 12-11.

The Lobos (3-3) trailed 6-1 in the third, 9-6 in the seventh and 11-10 heading into the bottom of the ninth, responding each time – they scored five runs over the third and fourth to tie things up at six-all and plated four in the bottom of the seventh to go ahead 11-10 before rallying one last time in the ninth, with Reed Spenrath providing the game-winning RBI – his third of the game – to even the series at a game apiece.

FINAL: Lobos 12, Jackrabbits 11

HOW ABOUT A 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗢𝗙𝗙 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥!?! Spenrath wins it for the Lobos in B9 to even the series! pic.twitter.com/5LPXszH0gT

— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) February 24, 2024

A day after striking out 11 times in the series opener, the Lobos only struck out twice today while drawing double-digit walks for the second time in the last three games. They didn’t strike out once over the final six frames.

“Really proud of our guys battling back after being down 6-1,” said UNM Head Coach Tod Brown. “I think we put some good at-bats together in the last five innings to create a lot of scoring opportunities and delivered the clutch hits we needed late – really resilient.”

Sean Stephens finished with three hits (2B, 3B, 2 BB) and scored a pair of runs to lead a 16-hit night for the Lobos, who got two hits each from Khalil Walker (3 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB), Kyle Smith (2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB), Ethan Ott (2 R, 1 RBI), Luke Mansy (2 RBI, 1 BB) and Spenrath (1 R, 3 RBI). In total, the Lobos connected on four doubles and a triple – Stephens’ second in as many games – while drawing double-digit walks for the second time in the last three.

RHP David Lopez notched a new career high with five strikeouts over 4 ⅔  innings of work in his second start but was tagged for six earned runs on 11 hits in that span, walking two. LHP Arthur Steinkamp (2.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB) and Brian McBroom (2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 K, 0 BB) closed things out, with McBroom earning the win despite the Jackrabbits plating a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to retake the lead late. In two games against the Jackrabbits, UNM pitchers are only issuing an average of 0.11 walks an inning.

UNM will face off with the Jackrabbits twice tomorrow in doubleheader action, with the first game set for a 12 p.m. start and the second starting roughly 30 minutes following its conclusion. Both games will be nine innings. Live stats are available via GoLobos.com/BSBStats, with streaming via the Mountain West Network at GoLobos.com/Watch  — follow @UNMLoboBaseball on Instagram and X for live updates, highlights and more.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– Ott’s first RBI on a fielder’s choice and his second on a sacrifice fly bring him up to four total RBI in four games as Lobo – he has yet to drive in a run with a hit.
– UNM’s 16 hits is the most the Lobos have produced in a single game this season – SDSU’s 19 hits were the most UNM has given up in a game so far.
– The Lobos have yet to win or lose two games in a row through six games.
– Prior to this weekend’s series, Reed Spenrath was hitless with zero RBI.  He’s up to three hits and three RBI on the series, with an active nine-game on base streak that dates back to the end of last season.
– Sean Stephens had hit one triple in each of his first two seasons as a Lobo — he’s hit two in the last two games while going 4-for-6 with two runs, two RBI, three walks and nine total bases.
– Andrew Neil — UNM’s projected Friday night starter on the mound until a hand injury kept him out of pitching to start the season — entered the game as a pinch runner in the ninth for Ethan Ott, scoring the winning run in his Lobo debut.

THE ACTION
Making his second career start for UNM after earning a win against CSU Bakersfield last Saturday, Lopez found himself in a jam with one out on the board and runners at the corners after the Jackrabbits connected on a leadoff double and followed with a bloop single over the pitcher’s mound. But he responded with back-to-back strikeouts – matching his total over five innings in his first start – to end the frame with the game still scoreless.

UNM struck first this time around, with Walker connected on a leadoff base knock and reaching scoring position after a walk from Smith. Mansy made good on the advance with his first RBI as a Lobo, driving a single up the left side for a 1-0 UNM lead.

But Lopez found himself in trouble again in the top of the second and couldn’t get out without some damage, with SDSU plating four runs in response with a two-run double followed by a two-run homer before the junior righty induced a popup and a grounder to keep things moving.

Two more hits in the top of the third put runners at the corners with less than two outs for the third consecutive inning, with SDSU getting two more across on a single and a grounder before he ended the frame with his third strikeout.

With the Lobos needing some production to regain momentum, Smith led off with a double to left center – his first extra base hit of the season – and reached third on a throwing error that allowed Ott aboard with one out. He scored UNM’s second run on a wild pitch, with Mansy drawing a walk in that at-bat and McAlister following with a single to load the bases with one out. Spenrath followed with his first RBI of the season – a grounder that gave Ott time to score a second run – before Dixon fouled out to strand the other two runners.

Lopez opened the next inning with his fourth punchout and kept the Jackrabbits off the board despite another extra base hit, and the Lobos regained momentum with two more runs to tie things up in the bottom of the frame.

After Stephens connected on a leadoff triple – his second three-bagger in as many games and the first time he’s hit more than one in an entire season – and Walker sprayed a single to left center to cut the deficit to two, Smith and Asby drew walks in succession to load the bases yet again and cue an SDSU pitching change. Up next, Ott and Mansy produced fielder’s choice RBIs in back-to-back at-bats to tie things up at 6-all.

A double play in the second at-bat of Lopez’ fifth inning of work nullified the Jackrabbits’ fourth leadoff hit of the game, but after the Jackrabbits retook the lead on two walks and a single, LHP Arthur Steinkamp entered the game in relief. 

The senior lefty induced a grounder in the next at-bat to keep the deficit within reach, but the Jackrabbits extended the lead to three over the next two frames as UNM was kept off the board in each.

But the Lobos weren’t going away just yet, retaking the lead for the first time since the top of the second with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the seventh. After McAlister reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the seventh, Spenrath connected on a double that rolled all the way to the wall to trim the deficit to two and reached third on a balk before Dixon brought him in with a grounder. Up next, Ott brought in the go-ahead run the Lobos needed with a sac fly on a full count, with Walker scoring his third run.

McBroom took the mound in the eighth to close things out, working around yet another leadoff hit with a strikeout and two flyouts in succession to hold the Jackrabbits scoreless for the first time since the fourth.

With two outs in the bottom of the frame, Dixon singled and Stephens connected on a double  – his third extra base hit of the series – to push him to third, with Walker getting on base for a fourth time in the next at-bat to give UNM a chance to pad the lead with a swing of the bat. But Smith flew out in the next at-bat to keep the lead at one with three outs to go.

After the Jackrabbits plated two late runs to retake the lead one more time in the top of the ninth, McBroom halted the advance with his third punchout and another big flyout.

UNM immediately got to work finding a response, with Asby drawing a walk and Ott singling up the middle before Kinkade’s first double of the season brought in the tying run.

B9 | Lobos 11, Jackrabbits 11

LOBOS PUNCH BACK! With runners at the corners and nobody out, Kinkade delivers the RBI the Lobos needed with his first double of the season! pic.twitter.com/ONQRkFsvJb

— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) February 24, 2024

Andrew Neil entered as a pinch runner for Ott for his Lobo debut, scoring from third on Spenrath’s game-winning base knock to complete the comeback for good.

UP NEXT
RHP Ben Baker-Livingston is slated to get the start for the Lobos’ in the first game of tomorrow’s doubleheader against SDSU RHP Jake Goble. Live stats are available via GoLobos.com/BSBStats, with streaming via the Mountain West Network at GoLobos.com/Watch  — follow @UNMLoboBaseball on Instagram and X for live updates, highlights and more.