After splitting the first two games, the baseball team had a chance to take the series from Nevada but failed in the last inning.
UNM lost 5-3 on Friday, and won 3-2 on Saturday.
In the bottom of the ninth, with a runner on third base and Nevada winning 9-8, freshman third baseman Alex Real struck out to lose the game, but junior shortstop Alex Allbritton said the game was lost much earlier.
“Coach Birmingham said we lost the game in the first couple of innings right there, but I think we can take some positives out of it,” Allbritton said.
UNM starting pitcher Alexis Garza got two quick outs to start the game, but it went downhill from there. He loaded the bases after he gave up a double, a walk and hit a batter.
The Wolf Pack was able to cash in when infielder Kewbey Meyer hit a double to left center making the score 2-0.
The second inning was a continuation of the first. The Lobos committed two quick errors to help Nevada score another run.
Junior pitcher Shelby Brummett then came on to relieve Garza, but he didn’t the change the pace of the game. On his first pitch, he gave up a single to give Nevada lead 4-0.
Garza only pitched one inning, giving up three hits along with a 27.00 ERA, but he wasn’t the only pitcher to struggle. UNM used six pitchers during the game.
Birmingham said once Garza lost his confidence, everything changed.
“First two guys he faced, I thought he was going to be on today,” Birmingham said. “Once that kid hit that double off the wall that changed the entire complex, he panicked.”
The Wolf Pack added one more run at the end of the inning, to make it 5-0 off a double down the left-field line.
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UNM was able to make a comeback, as freshman outfielder Ryan Padilla hit a 2-1 pitch to right field, to bring in the first two runs of the game for the Lobos and an RBI from Allbritton made it 5-3.
UNM tied the game when junior catcher Mitchell Garver hit a one out single in the fifth.
In an attempt to hold the lead in the inning, Nevada made a pitching change, but senior outfielder John Putsay rolled a grounder to second to give the Lobos a 7-6 lead.
Nevada struck back and Wolf Pack first baseman Brett Jones hit a double to right field to put Nevada ahead 8-7.
Nevada took the lead for good in the eighth inning, with a single that brought in the winning run from second.
With the bases loaded and two men out, sophomore first baseman DJ Peterson hit the ball right back to the pitcher to end the threat.
Birmingham said Peterson needs to take what the opposing team is giving him and not try to win the game with one swing.
“DJ is a great hitter but he’s trying to do much and they took advantage of that,” Birmingham said.
