Swing, strike, sit was the theme of the weekend for Air Force — except for three innings.
The Lobos completed a sweep of Air Force on Sunday with a 16-4 win at Lobo Field, but they couldn’t record three straight shutouts.
Starting pitcher Rudy Jaramillo blanked the Falcons 5-0 on Friday, and pitcher Jake McCasland followed suit on Saturday, helping the Lobos to a 10-0 win and their first back-to-back shutouts since 1983.
The UNM bullpen dominated AFA, but head coach Ray Birmingham bemoaned his team’s inconsistency.
“You’ve got to play the whole game the right way, and that’s not happening,” he said. “Whether it’s youth or whatever, but I’m going to demand it, and they’re going to do it.”
Pitcher Richard Olson toed the rubber for UNM on Sunday, but his shutout bid ended before it could even get started. In the top of the second inning, Olson gave up a RBI single to Brad Pingel.
The Lobos answered back and took control of the game, scoring 11 runs over the next four innings to take a commanding lead.
Olson went 7 innings in which he gave up five hits and earned runs and his third win of the season. He said he didn’t have the same pop Jaramillo and McCasland had the previous two days.
“That’s why I got touched up a little bit and gave up some runs,” he said. “I wasn’t as good as Rudy or Jake. I just went out there and gave my team a chance to win, and that was all we needed.”
Birmingham said the UNM pitchers can’t get sloppy during games.
“I thought Richard pitched OK,” he said. “Coach (Dave) Martinez has done a super job with teaching them how to pitch down in the zone. (Olson) goes outside and he gives up two runs by pitching up in the zone and not being locked in.”
The UNM bullpen gave up four runs, but the Lobos’ offense was too much for the Falcons. Air Force gave up 19 hits.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Freshman first baseman DJ Peterson went 3-for-6 Sunday and drove in 5 RBIs.
Peterson said UNM fed off AFA’s poor pitching.
“I saw some pitches up early in the game,” he said. “I put them in the gap, or hit a double and was able to score some runs. I mean, the whole team did all day and everyone hit today.”
