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Lobos Surge Past WSU Late in Friday Opener, 10-9

Lobos Surge Past WSU Late in Friday Opener, 10-9Lobos Surge Past WSU Late in Friday Opener, 10-9
Box Score

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico Baseball rallied from down 8-3 midway through its first Mountain West Conference matchup with Washington State and held on late to win 10-9 Friday at Santa Ana Star Field, leaning on a trio of three-hit performances and a relief effort that held the Cougars to just one run over the final four frames.

With their first win over Washington State in the first meeting between the two teams in over 30 years, the Lobos (18-15, 7-6 MW) pull ahead of the Cougars (13-20, 6-7 MW) for the time being, moving into a three-way tie for second place with Nevada (18-14, 7-6 MW) and San Jose State (19-15, 7-6 MW). They’ll get two chances to seal the weekend series in tomorrow’s Game Two (2 p.m. MT) and Sunday’s Game Three (12 p.m.).

The Lobos racked up 17 hits – the second-most in a single game this season – to improve to 7-0 in night games at Santa Ana Star Field and 13-4 at home overall on the season, with Brodey Williams, Tye Wood and Akili Carris all finishing with three hits each to lead the way.

Williams (3-for-5, 2B x 2, 4 RBI, 2 R) fueled the Lobos’ late surge with a career-high four RBI – all of which from the fourth inning onwards – with two doubles and his first career home run, Carris (3-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R) finished with multiple RBI for the ninth time this year while scoring a pair of runs.

Luke Mansy (2-for-4, BB, 2 R) and Tye Wood (3-for-5, 2 2B, SB) also delivered strong nights at the plate – Mansy extended his team-leading hit streak to six games with four multi-hit games in that span, while Wood finished with three hits for the second game in a row after reaching base six times in Tuesday’s win over Texas Tech.

Ethan Ott (2-for-3, HR, BB, 2 R, RBI) launched his eighth home run of the season and third in the last seven days and Khalil Walker (2-for-5) made it six Lobos with multiple hits. Josh McAlister and Jordy Oriach both drove in a run apiece with singles to round out UNM’s 17-hit night.

After starter LHP Daxton Purser (5.0 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) was tagged for eight earned as the Cougars threatened to pull away in the fifth, a trio of Lobo relievers managed to calm things down and keep the lead intact through nine despite notching just one strikeout. RHP Josh Barnhouse (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB) earned the win in relief, and RHP Tommy White (2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 K) stabilized things before RHP Ty Cunningham (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R) closed it out in the ninth for his seventh save of the season.

Cunningham’s seventh save moves him into the UNM All-Time Top 10 in single-season saves – he’s now just four away from matching Ed Bartholomew’s program record (11) that has stood since 1985.

ON DECK
The Lobos get a chance to clinch another weekend series with a win in tomorrow’s Game Two at 2 p.m. MT, with LHP Presley Monteforte (0-1, 6-94 ERA) set to get the start on the bump against Cougars LHP Nick Lewis (5.66 ERA, 3-3).

All of this weekend’s home games will be broadcast free via the MW Network, with live stats, streaming options and more available via GoLobos.com/BSBGameDay. Follow @UNMLoboBaseball on IG, X and Facebook for comprehensive coverage, promotional updates, behind-the-scenes content and more.

THE ACTION

  • UNM jumped ahead early with two runs on four hits in the first and tacked on another in the fourth thanks to Brodey Williams’ first career home run, but trailed 8-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth after the Cougars hit a grand slam in the top of the next inning.
  • The Lobos punched back immediately, with the first five UNM batters all reaching successfully – Akili Carris and Brodey Williams yielded a three combined RBI with back-to-back doubles before Josh McAlister tacked on another to get the Lobos back within a run.
  • After Barnhouse stranded the bases loaded to put a zero on the board in the top of the sixth, UNM’s lineup went back to work. Ott crushed a two-out solo homer before Williams connected on his second double of the night – and third extra base hit in as many innings – to make good on base hits from Carris and Mansy and extend the lead to 10-8.
  • The Cougs got one back on an RBI base knock in the next frame, but didn’t get any closer. White retired three of four in the eighth before Cunningham worked around a one-out double – with some help thanks to an exceptional play from McAlister at second base for the final out – to preserve the lead and get the save.

THE HIGHLIGHTS