The junior reliever pitched 3 1/3 innings, giving up zero hits and striking out three batters in a 5-1 New Mexico victory over Fresno State. Cole also earned his first victory of the season.
“I don’t really think about it when I’m throwing,” he said. “I just try to get the job done and keep us in place to win.”
In the sixth inning, Preston Ryan walked Fresno State right fielder Aaron Arruda to load the bases with two outs. Cole then came on to pitch for Preston and got the next batter to fly out to end the inning.
That was the last time until the ninth inning that the Bulldogs threatened to score.
“Jake Cole is a professional. The thing that I point out to them is that he’s not a drama queen,” head coach Ray Birmingham said. “He comes out here to work every day.”
UNM broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on second and third and two men out, shortstop Dalton Bowers came to the plate but fell behind 0-2 in the count. On the next pitch, Bowers hit a ball right up the middle for a two RBI single, giving the Lobos a 3-1 lead.
Bowers scored later in the inning when first baseman Jack Zoellner hit a double to right center field.
“We just found a way to do it in clutch situations lately,” Bowers said. “I was just trying to put the ball in play and use my abilities.”
UNM added one more run in the seventh inning thanks to an RBI triple from catcher Corey Voss. The triple was Voss’ fifth of the season.
Lobo starting pitcher Carson Schneider went a career-long five innings, allowing one run on three hits and struck out three. Ryan pitched just 2/3 of an inning, walking two batters.
The three hits the Lobos allowed tied for the lowest given up by the team this season.
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“The pitching is starting to come around,” Birmingham said.
With the win, UNM (14-11, 7-5 MW) now sits in third place in the Mountain West, trailing first-place San Diego State and second-place Nevada. Fresno State (16-13, 7-5) fell to fourth with the loss.
The Lobos will visit the Aztecs this weekend in a key three-game series. UNM won the first series between the two teams earlier this season.
“It’s huge,” Cole said. “Those two wins right there put us back into third going after Nevada and San Diego State. That’s huge because we’re in a place where we can possibly get second.”
Fresno State starter Garrett Mundell threw just 2 1/3 innings, giving up one run on three hits. Pitcher Ricky Thomas has the longest outing for the Bulldogs, allowing three hits and one run in 2 2/3 innings.
Designated hitter Taylor Tempel went 1-2 with one run.
Thomas Romero-Salas is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ThomasRomeroS.
