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Baseball: Both teams pitch well, but Lobos unravel at the end against the Aztecs

Friday’s game took a different turn for the Lobos in comparison to its last two outings. Instead of hitting being a main priority, San Diego State and UNM battled in a pitching duel at Tony Gwynn Field in San Diego, California, with the Aztecs ( claiming a key victory, 4-0, over the Lobos.

Despite the loss, UNM (24-18-1, 14-3-1 MW) rotated only two pitcher in starter Tyler Stevens – who pitched seven innings – and reliever Justin Slaten. Stevens gave up three runs and eight hits, and Slaten – who pitched the Lobos’ last inning in the bottom of the eighth – gave up one run and no hits.

However, what ultimately loses the game for UNM was a mess of an eighth inning. In that frame Justin Slaten had three wild pitches and a passed ball which led to two runs on just one hit in the eighth inning. Before those two runs, the Lobos found themselves within striking distance, but those insurance runs weighed heavy on the final score.

The Lobos couldn't find its bats – with the exception of a few – on Friday night. The Lobos tallied four hits as a team, spread across all nine innings. Of those four hits, first baseman Jack Zoellner managed to do the most damage, going 1-for-4 with his lone hit being a double. Beau Capanna, Luis Gonzalez and Hayden Schilling all had a hit, too, though each were singles.

The Lobos didn't get the start that they wanted, being shutout in the first three innings of the game on offense, before Gonzalez was able to make way in the third inning on a single. Innings one and two saw the Lobos get retired in order, while inning three saw Capanna reach on a walk, and inning four saw a lone single.

Meanwhile, Lobo pitching was phenomenal, too, in the first four innings. Stevens gave up a hit in the first inning, retired the side in the second, but gave up a run on two hits in the third, which saw San Diego State grab its first lead of the game, 1-0.

From there, the game still didn't produce much of anything for the Lobos on offense. Schilling singled in the fifth, but UNM couldn't get him to home plate; however, the Lobos’ best chance came in the sixth inning when Capanna reached first base on a one-out single and then Gonzalez was walked with two outs, to put runners at first and second. But Zoellner ended the inning on a groundout once again ending any hope of tying the game up.

San Diego State scored one run in the seventh inning after a walk, a single and an RBI single brought a runner home, to put the Aztecs up 2-0.

Justin Watari reached first base in the top of the eighth inning on a catcher’s interference call, but the next three Lobos fell victim to a fly out and two strikeouts, once again keeping the Lobos scoreless.

San Diego State went on to win 4-0 on its home field, giving the team its first win over the Lobos and bringing them one step closer to grabbing the lead in the Mountain West.

Game two of the series takes place at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Apr. 29. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPN Radio 101.7, The TEAM.


Matthew Narvaiz is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers women's basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz

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