by Kelly Brocklehurst
Daily Lobo
Some wild pitching and an astonishing offensive performance from Ute second baseman Doug Beck spelled doom for the Lobos in their 20-12 loss to Utah on Sunday.
Utah swept the series and improved to 9-12, while UNM dropped to 9-12 in Mountain West Conference play.
Beck hit for the cycle, going 6-for-7 with nine RBIs. He had a two-run homer in the third and also collected two singles, two doubles and a triple.
Freshman Jordan Pacheco said Utah, who lost an earlier series against UNM, has improved since the Lobos last played the Utes.
"They're a lot better than the first time we played them," Pacheco said. "They're hitting the ball really well."
Despite several good plays by Pacheco, UNM's defense faltered. Utah had 22 hits against the Lobos, including two home runs.
"It's getting to the point where everybody's pretty tired," right fielder Brandon Bingham said. "It's been a long season, and I think we need to clean up some defensive things."
The Lobos' pitching staff also struggled throughout the game. Darren Coltrinari hit the first batter he faced before giving up two runs. Coltrinari gave up 11 hits, and he hit three batters in five innings.
Freshman Bobby Moore relieved Coltrinari but was taken out of the game after walking a batter and giving up three hits. Petr Pacas relieved Moore, and Mike Smith later relieved Pacas.
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"They just took advantage of our mistakes," Coltrinari said. "We need to make some adjustments."
In the seventh inning, Utah first baseman Ryder Olsen singled and advanced to second and third on passed balls.
In the eighth inning, Joe Mozeleski and Trevor Eastman singled, and both players advanced to second and third base on a passed ball.
The Lobos had 16 hits against the Utes, including two home runs by designated hitter Chris Carlson. His first homer came in the sixth inning, allowing Garrick Haymore and Pacheco to score.
The inning ended when Daniel Stovall singled but was thrown out at second base on a fielder's choice. In the eighth inning, Carlson homered again, scoring two runs. In the fifth inning, third baseman Ian Hollick hit a four-run smash to close the score to 13-6.
The Lobos also had two doubles against Utah. In the first inning, Carlson doubled, scoring one run. In the ninth inning, Bingham hit a double that allowed pinch hitter Nick Carlson to score.
Bingham said the team struggled offensively against the Utes in the beginning of the series, and it needs to improve on hitting off speed pitches.
"The right-hander on Friday was really good and it's hard for our bats to get used to it and (it was) the same thing yesterday," Bingham said.
The Lobos return to action May 12 against San Diego State.
