The Lobos plowed the Utes Thursday in Salt Lake City, overpowering their pitching for a nine-run third inning and coasting to a 15-4 rout.
UNM scored early with two unearned runs in the first inning. After an infield error by the Utes, the score was 2-0.
Then in the third, the Lobos sealed the contest with a barrage of base hits.
Josh Mader was at the center of the explosion, crushing two home runs in an inning that also included three Lobo doubles and a pair of singles.
The slams were the second and third of the year for Mader. An All-Mountain West first-teamer last year, Mader had seven home runs in 2003. The shortstop had never before hit two homers in a game in his UNM career.
Mader finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBI.
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"We really swung the bats well today in the first four innings," head coach Rich Alday said. "Josh Mader had the two big home runs, and we just took the game over thanks to those early swings."
Indeed, the Lobos continued their drubbing in the fourth, when they added two runs on a base hit, another on a triple and their final score on a single to left field. With the game half over, the Lobos were up 15-0.
"We got that big lead and then shut it down after that," Alday said.
By the sixth, the score was 15-3, with the Lobos still out of danger. Utah added its last run in the bottom of the ninth off a sacrifice fly, producing the game's final score.
Jason Price was the losing pitcher for Utah. He lasted just two and two-thirds innings, giving up 10 runs.
Alday couldn't give specifics on why his team hit so well off Price and the other Utah pitchers.
"We just went up there looking for off-speed stuff," he said. "We did a really good job of just staying back and being patient."
Starter Jason Fernandez fared far better for UNM. Fernandez lasted seven innings and gave up seven hits. He didn't walk a single batter.
It was a good day for several other Lobo hitters. Matt Young was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Ryan Barba hit 3-for-5 with two RBI, and Matt Foote went 2-for-4 with four RBI.
The win improves UNM's overall record to 11-18-1, and the Lobos' conference record improves to 7-3. The Lobos are second in the conference behind co-leaders SDSU and UNLV.
They play two more against Utah this weekend and are looking to win a series over the Utes for the second time this season. UNM took two out of three earlier this year in a MWC face-off at Isotopes Park.
