March 27, 2010
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Saturday's baseball game between San Diego State and New Mexico at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque came down to the seventh inning. One team was unable to take advantage of its opportunity to score while the other batted around and put five runs on the board. Unfortunately for the Aztec, they were the former and New Mexico the latter as the Lobos rallied to defeat SDSU, 8-5.
The win was the second in two days for UNM over San Diego State as they improved to 16-9 overall and 3-2 in Mountain West Conference play. SDSU, meanwhile, saw its record fall to 9-13 (0-2 MWC).
Bryan Crabb got the starting assignment for the Aztecs and after getting through the first inning was touched up for a pair of unearned runs in the second. His teammates, however, evened the score in the next inning as they benefitted from a single by Mitch Blackburn, a throwing error and an RBI double by Cory Vaughn.
One inning later San Diego State took its first lead of the series as it put a pair of runs on the board in the fourth to go up 4-2. Ryan O'Sullivan opened the frame with a single and scored on a double to left by Chris Wilson, who came home on a single by Matt Nadolski.
The Lobos scored a single run in the bottom of the inning, another of the unearned variety off Crabb, to make it a 4-3 game. It stayed that way until the seventh.
In the top of that inning the Aztecs loaded the bases with one out, but a strikeout and a fly ball to right ended the threat with SDSU clinging precariously to its one-run advantage.
With Andrew Leary on in relief to start the bottom of the inning, New Mexico wasted little time putting five runs on the board on six singles and an error to take an 8-4 lead. Those five runs (four earned) were charged to Leary, who would ultimately take the loss to fall to 1-2. UNM's Edwin Carl, who had come on to pitch in the top of the inning, would be the beneficiary of his team's rally as he picked up the win to improve to 4-1.
The Aztecs got a consolation run in the top of the ninth when Vaughn's triple brought home Brandon Meredith, who had singled ahead of him. That run came off Lobo closer Gera Sanchez, who gave up the run on three hits in the ninth, but was able to nail down the win for his side.
Mitch Blackburn ended the afternoon with three hits and a run scored while Vaughn had a double, triple and two RBI. Meredith also had two hits including a double with a run scored.
San Diego State and New Mexico will conclude their three-game series on Sunday with a single game slated for a 1:00 p.m. 9MT) start in Albuquerque.