Lobos Drop DH at San Diego State
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – New Mexico Baseball dropped both games of its doubleheader with San Diego State at Tony Gwynn Stadium 8-6 and 13-0, with the Aztecs taking the weekend series two games to one.
Back-to-back homers in Game One from Jake Holland and Reed Spenrath got the Lobos back within a run in the top of the eighth, but an ensuing three-spot in response was too much to overcome in the final frame with just three outs to work with. In Game Two, the Aztecs erupted for a series-high 13 runs on 16 hits as the Lobos were held hitless in a seven-inning run rule game that sealed the series.
Game Two was the first time UNM has been hitless in a seven-inning game since a 2-1 loss to Utah in Salt Lake City on April 27, 1990, and the first time the Lobos have been shut out since an 8-0 midweek loss on the road at New Mexico State on May 16, 2023. It also snapped a 26-game streak of games with at least one extra base hit for UNM, which entered this weekend leading the league in doubles and homers.
The Lobos (16-11, 7-5 MW) return to action Tuesday for a midweek matchup with Arizona (13-13, 7-5 Pac-12) in Tucson, Ariz.
THE ACTION (GAME ONE)
UNM was kept off the board for the first seven innings and held to four hits in that span as SDSU built a 5-0 lead, with the Lobos finally breaking the seal with four runs in the eighth thanks to back-to-back no-doubters from Holland and Spenrath — they plated six runs on five hits and two walks in the final two innings, culminating in a two-run double with just one out left in the ninth, but couldn’t make up the difference after a three-spot in the bottom of the eighth from the Aztecs.
Spenrath (3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB) and Holland (3 RBI, 1 R) both finished with two hits each for four of UNM’s nine knocks, with Khalil Walker singling twice in the fifth and ninth frames for two more. Will Asby (2 R, 1 HBP), Gene Trujillo (1 HBP), and Akili Carris all added a hit each to round things out.
LHP Daxton Purser was effective despite an early three runs from SDSU in the first frame, notching a new career-high with seven strikeouts while being tagged for five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks over 3.1 innings. RHP David Lopez pitched the rest of the game, calming things down a bit to give the Lobos a chance to get back in striking distance — he finished with three punchouts over 4.2 frames while allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and one free pass.
starter Daxton Purser struck out three in his first inning of work, but allowed three runs across on a failed fielder’s choice and an RBI single and SDSU took its first lead of the series early. He worked himself out of more trouble in the second, inducing a flyout and notching his fourth strikeout of the day in succession to strand the bases loaded and keep the deficit at just three.
The big lefty struck out two more in a scoreless third and reached a new career-high with his seventh to lead off the fourth but exited the game after a single and a two-run homer in succession put SDSU up 5-0. RHP David Lopez took over from there, getting the second out with a first-pitch grounder and ending the inning with a strikeout to prevent any further damage.
Lopez retired nine of the next 10 he faced to hold the Aztecs scoreless over the next three frames, but UNM didn’t find a response until the eighth, when back-to-back homers from Jake Holland and Reed Spenrath yielded four runs to get UNM back within one with just two swings of the bat. Holland’s blast – a three-runner – was his 10th of the year and sixth in his last six games, while Spenrath’s was his fifth in his last 11 games since hitting his first no-doubter of the season on March 10.
With one out on the board, Tye Wood drew a walk to get the tying run aboard with Sean Stephens entering as a pinch runner. Stephens reached scoring position after Ethan Ott drew a walk, but Devon Dixon and Akili Carris struck out in the next two at-bats to keep the Aztecs’ lead intact.
But SDSU responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer and an RBI double to go back up by four with just three outs left for the Lobos to work with. Spenrath picked up his second and third RBI of the day with a two-out double, but the Lobos didn’t get any closer the rest of the way. It’s the first time this season that the Lobos have homered multiple times and not won the game (10-1).
THE ACTION (GAME TWO)
After a brief intermission, Game Two began the same way as the first — with a tone-setting three-run first for SDSU. This time, the Lobos never punched back — UNM batters drew six walks but were held hitless through seven innings as the Aztecs plated 13 on 16 hits to secure a seven-inning shutout win.
In his first career start, RHP Ryan Castillo was tagged for six runs — five earned — on nine hits over two innings of work, striking out two without any walks. Over his last four outings, Castillo has only walked one batter while striking out 15. Four other pitchers — LHP Justin Still (1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB), RHP Brian McBroom (0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB), LHP Arthur Steinkamp (1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB) and Wil Bannister (1.0, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K) combined for the other four innings. UNM pitchers issued only four walks in total, but only rung up two SDSU batters in the same span.
Six different Lobos got on base at least once, with Spenrath drawing two walks and stealing a base and Will Asby, Devon Dixon, Josh McAlister and Luke Mansy all finishing with a base on balls each and Konner Kinkade wearing a hit-by-pitch. But UNM left seven on base en route to the Lobos’ first shutout loss since a seven-inning 8-0 road defeat to New Mexico State on May 16, 2023.