Aztecs Upended in Game Two of Weekend Series at New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – San Diego State fell victim to the big inning on Saturday, as New Mexico claimed an 11-3 victory in the second game of a Mountain West series at Lobo Baseball Field.

UNM (21-12-1, 7-3-1 MW) broke open a tight 1-0 ballgame with three markers in the third before plating five more runs in the fifth to build a commanding 9-0 advantage.

With the result, the Lobos take over the top spot in the Mountain West standings, while the Aztecs (19-17, 7-4 MW) slip into a tie for second place with Nevada, (18-13, 7-4 MW) and Air Force (14-18, 7-4 MW).

New Mexico outhit SDSU, 16-6, as six players recorded multiple hits, including a 4-for-4 performance from Lenny Junior Ashby, while Anthony Diaz, Gene Trujillo, Luke Mansy, Akili Carris and Khalil Walker collected two apiece.

Ryan Castillo (7-1) earned the complete-game victory, yielding three runs on six hits and one walk with eight strikeouts, while Drew Talavs (3-3) absorbed the loss after giving up the Lobos’ first nine runs on 10 hits and four walks with just one strikeout in 4 2/3 innings.

The Lobos led throughout, scoring a run with one out in the first on Ashby’s RBI double after Diaz led off the frame with a bloop double to left.

UNM extended its lead in the third when Walker drew a leadoff walk and crossed the plate moments later on Diaz’s double to right center, while Karsen Waslefsky followed with a single to center moments later before Trujillo walked and later scored on Mansy’s RBI groundout.

With a 4-0 cushion, the Lobos gave themselves some separation on two big hits in the fifth, a two-run homer by Trujillo and Walker’s two-out bases-clearing double.

The Aztecs finally broke their scoring drought with three runs in the eighth, as Zach Justice doubled home Drew Rutter, who was struck by a pitch to lead off the inning, while Jabin Trosky singled and eventually crossed the plate on Tyce Peterson’s RBI groundout. Shortly thereafter, Justice raced home on another groundout by Jake Jackson.

However, the Lobos dashed SDSU’s faint comeback hopes with a pair of tallies in the bottom of the frame. Waslefsky was hit by a pitch and took third on Ashby’s single before scoring on Trujillo’s base hit through the right side of the infield. Ashby subsequently touched home from third when Damien Garcia bounced into a double play.         

San Diego State will look to salvage the final game of its weekend series at New Mexico when the two teams square off on Sunday, April 12 at noon MT/11 a.m. PT. The Aztecs are scheduled to start Alec Belardes (2-3), while fellow right-hander Diego Alvarez (1-2) is expected to get the call for the Lobos. The SDSU-UNM game will air live on the Mountain West Network.