UNM gets payback against Nevada, 8-5
Good at-bats, small plays fetch a satisfying win
Saturday was all about getting even for the University of New Mexico baseball team.
The Lobos did just that, giving visiting Nevada a taste of its own medicine in an 8-5 victory at sunny Santa Ana Star Field. UNM (5-4, 1-1 Mountain West) evened the three-game series with the deciding game set for today at noon.
To a large extent, Saturday’s game was much like Friday’s opener, which Nevada (4-5, 1-1) won by a 9-5 margin. But this time New Mexico did all the little things right, scratching out runs with good at-bats in key situations.
“This team has to win baseball games without the long ball,” said outfielder Brayden Merritt, who has UNM’s lone homer this season but went 3-for-4 with a double and two singles Saturday.
“We have to do whatever it takes to get guys on base and move them around,” he added. “We did a good job with that today and got a big win.”
The Lobos put together what amounted to a game-winning, small-ball rally in the bottom of the eighth, turning three singles and a pair of walks into three runs to break a 5-5 tie. Justin Watari worked a two-out bases-loaded walk to bring home the go-ahead run, and Hayden Schilling followed with a two-run flair single to make it 8-5.
Thirteen of UNM’s 16 hits were singles, but coach Ray Birmingham was happy to take a win in a game started by Nevada’s ace right-hander Mark Nowaczewski. The Wolf Pack scored a win over Lobo ace Justin Slaten on Friday night.
“Our hitters took a step today against their No. 1 guy,” Birmingham said. “We managed the game better in terms of hitting, pitching and defense. We’re still cleaning things up but it’s coming.”
UNM got 5⅓ solid innings from freshman starter Robert Gasser, who allowed only a solo home run to Nevada’s Dillan Shrum and left with a runner on first and the Lobos holding a 4-1 lead. But Nevada got three run-scoring hits off reliever Chad Smith to tie the score and grabbed a 5-4 lead on Grant Fennell’s RBI single in the seventh.
New Mexico answered when Merritt
singled and later scored Danny Collier’s two-out single in the bottom of the seventh. The Lobos’ three-run rally in the eighth was more than enough to make a winner of reliever Christian Tripp (1-0), who struck out the side in the ninth to cap a three-inning stint.
“It’s great when Tripp goes out there,” Merritt said, “but I know I won’t get any action in the outfield. He pretty much just strikes everybody out.”
Schilling, Collier, Chris Dunn, Jeff Deimling and Robby Campillo had two hits apiece for the Lobos. Fennell and Weston Hatten had two hits for the Wolf Pack.
NOTE: The start time for today’s finale was moved from 1 p.m. to noon to ensure the game will finish in time for Nevada to make its scheduled flight. UNM’s Sunday game against Central Michigan last week ended in a 6-6 tie after 10 innings because the visiting Chippewas had to leave to make a flight.