Lobos Downed at Arizona in Midweek Matchup
TUCSON, Ariz. – New Mexico Baseball couldn’t keep up with a 12-hit night from Arizona in road midweek action Tuesday night, avoiding being shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since 2017 but falling 9-1 to the Wildcats (14-13, 7-5 Pac-12) at Hi Corbett Field in their lone meeting this season.
The Lobos (16-12, 7-5 MW) return home this weekend for more nonconference action, hosting Sam Houston (17-13, 3-6 C-USA) at Santa Ana Star Field for a three-game set that begins on Friday at 6 p.m. MT.
UNM pitched Tuesday night’s game by committee, with seven different pitchers seeing the mound – RHP Josh Barnhouse (2.1 IP), LHP Arthur Steinkamp (0.2 IP), RHP Brett Russell (1.1 IP), LHP Justin Still (0.1 IP), RHP Wyatt Hardy (0.1 IP), RHP Will Bannister (2.0 IP) and LHP Jaren Jackson (1.0 IP) – the most in a single game for UNM this year.
Barnhouse (2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K) opened his first career start with two scoreless frames before allowing a two-run homer in the third that cued his exit from the game to preserve his arm for this weekend’s series. Even with a variety of different looks, the Lobos struggled to stop the bleeding — the Wildcats proceeded to push across five more runs on seven hits over the next three frames to take control before two scoreless frames from Bannister (2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K) calmed things down. Bannister retired all six batters he faced on just 24 pitches – he and Russell (1.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K) were the only two Lobo pitchers to not be tagged for an earned run.
The Lobos finished with six hits, with Reed Spenrath leading the way with two – a double and a triple – while scoring UNM’s lone run. It’s Spenrath’s 13th multi-hit game this season and eighth in his last 13 games as well as his fifth game this season with multiple extra base hits.
Konner Kinkade, Jake Holland, Akili Carris and Ethan Ott all came up with a base knock each, but the Lobos struck out eight times and were retired in order in each of the last three frames as the Wildcats’ bats picked up.
Friday’s series opener vs. Sam Houston is set for a 6 p.m. MT first pitch, with streaming for all three games available via the MW Network at GoLobos.com/Watch and live stats available at GoLobos.com/BSBStats. Follow @UNMLoboBaseball on X, IG and Facebook for gameday and promotional updates, game coverage, behind-the-scenes content and more.
THE ACTION
UNM put its seven-inning hitless streak dating back to their series finale at San Diego State on Friday to rest quickly in the opening frame, with Holland and Spenrath hitting a single and double in succession with two outs on the board. But after Holland was kept on by a grounder to third that ended the frame and the Lobos didn’t get another runner in scoring position until the fifth.
After two relatively calm innings to open for Barnhouse’s first career start on the mound with just one hit and two walks, the Wildcats plated two runs with a swing of the bat thanks to a homer from Garen Caulfield to break the scoreless tie. Steinkamp took over from there, allowing another extra base hit but stranding the runner on third with his first strikeout of the day.
Arizona tacked on one more thanks to a leadoff triple followed by a single to end Steinkamp’s day, with Russell taking over from there and inducing outs on each of the next three batters he faced to keep things under control.
Singles from Carris and Kinkade off of new pitcher Bradon Zastrow threatened a response in the top of the fifth with a runner in scoring position for the first time since the opening frame, but a grounder from Asby with two outs stranded both. Russell ended his time on the mound with a fourth consecutive out in the bottom of the frame and Still and Hardy produced an out each in relief to end the frame after another triple and single back-to-back in Still’s first two batters faced extended the deficit to four.
UNM finally got on the board in the sixth thanks to Spenrath’s fourth triple of the season with one out followed by an RBI grounder from Ott that gave him time to speed across and avoid getting shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since 2017.
But Hardy was unable to slow the Wildcats’ roll as they plated three on three base hits – culminating in a three-run shot from Mason White – to extend the lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the sixth before Bannister halted the rally with back-to-back punchouts followed by a routine popup. The righty junior didn’t let off the gas in the seventh, retiring three more in succession with his third K for a 1-2-3 frame to end his outing with a final line of two hitless innings with no walks on just 24 pitches.
But the Lobos’ woes at the plate continued in the top of the next inning – Kinkade and Asby both struck out and Holland flew out to make it nine straight retired batters following Ott’s RBI sacrifice hit. Taking over for Bannister in the bottom of the eighth, Jackson got into a big-time jam right away after two base knocks and a walk juiced the bases for the first time all night with nobody out. After trading the first two out for an eighth and ninth run with two sac flies, Jackson generated a grounder to close the frame, but the Lobos were retired in order for a third consecutive frame to end the game before reaching the bottom of the ninth.