SO CLOSE IT HURTS FOR UNM
Lobo baseball team takes a tworun lead into the bottom of the ninth, but can’t hold it against defending national champ Oregon State.
SURPRISE, Ariz. — The University of New Mexico baseball team held a two-run lead and needed three outs to shock the college baseball world, right off the bat.
Alas, at the Surprise Tournament, it wasn’t to be.
Oregon State, defending national champion and ranked eighth in the preseason, rallied for three ninth-inning runs and walked off with a 6-5 win over the Lobos in both teams’ opener Friday.
Jared Mang belted a two-run homer to back starter Justin Slaten, a junior right-hander who pitched five shutout innings for UNM. The Lobos outhit the Beavers 9-6, but also kept innings alive with three errors.
One would be most costly. A bad throw by Lobo second baseman Justin Watari opened the door for three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh, cutting UNM’s lead to 4-3.
After Hayden Schilling’s ninthinning single put UNM up 5-3, coach Ray Birmingham stuck with Malachi Emond to finish it. But Emond, who pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, allowed four hits and a walk in the ninth. There still were no outs when pinch-hitter Greg Fuch’s single through the right side scored the game-tying and winning runs.
The Lobos are back in action today against No. 24 Minnesota. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
NEW MEXICO STATE 20, TEXAS SOUTHERN 2: In Las Cruces, Nick Gonzales went 5-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs as the Aggies opened their season with a bang.
Braden Williams, Caleb Henderson and Joseph Ortiz each hit a home run for NMSU, which hosts Texas Southern for a doubleheader today.
SOFTBALL: In Tucson at the Hillenbrand Invitational, New Mexico fell 1-0 to No. 7 Alabama, which pushed across a run in the top of the seventh inning.
Kiana Spencer pitched a complete game for the Lobos, allowing six hits and three walks but also escaping trouble most of the way.
The Crimson Tide’s KB Sides plated the lone run on a two-out double to right-center, scoring Maddie Morgan from second base.
The Lobos (2-2) were scheduled to play a late game Friday against Cal State Fullerton.
At the Troy Cox Invitational in Las Cruces, host New Mexico State opened with a 7-4 win over Texas State on Friday and then left the bases loaded in the final inning in a 4-3 loss to Bradley. The Aggies (5-1) have games set today against Montana (1:30 p.m.) and San Jose State ( 4 p.m.) at the N.M. State Softball Complex.
In Portales, Eastern New Mexico (4-5) lost 11-3 to No. 6 Angelo State (11-1) Friday in its Lone Star Conference opener.
TRACK AND FIELD: Eastern New Mexico is set to compete at the Lone Star Conference indoor championships today and Sunday on the Texas Tech campus in Lubbock.
The ENMU men will be led by junior middle distance runner Ivar Moinat, who holds the school record and has the sixth fastest 800-meter time in NCAA Division II at 1:51.00 (converted to 1:50.68 due to elevation). It is also currently the top time in the Lone Star Conference.
On the women’s side, the Hounds will be looking for big things out of Belen senior Danee Bustos, who will run the 200, 400, 4x400 and high jump. Her 200 time (24.66, 24.73 converted for elevation) is 19th best in D-II.
TENNIS: In Lubbock, UNM women lost 4-1 at No. 22 Texas Tech and fell to 3-7. … In Provo, Utah, the Lobo men fell 4-0 to BYU.