tromeros@unm.edu
A taut conference contest quickly became a rout for the UNM baseball team.
The Lobos pounded UNLV (20-24) 9-1 on Sunday at Isotopes Park, completing a three-game sweep that kept them atop the Mountain West Conference. UNM won Game 1 11-4 Friday and won Game 2 16-5 Saturday.
Sophomore DJ Peterson said the Lobos started Sunday’s series closer sluggishly, but they came on in the eighth inning.
“We started off a little slow,” Peterson said, “The first inning we jumped out and then we kind of died off, but it only matters how you finish, and we finished good.”
Lobo starting senior pitcher Gera Sanchez found himself in a jam in the first inning. The Rebels loaded the bases with two outs, but Sanchez struck out UNLV shortstop Daniel Higa to end the threat.
In the bottom of the first, Peterson blasted a three-run home run over the left field wall, his 12th of the season, to make it 3-0.
Peterson’s dinger extended his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest of his career. He is batting .437 this season.
The Rebels cut the lead to two in the sixth inning off first baseman Trent Cook’s RBI single.
In the eighth inning, the Lobos pulled away thanks to three two-run home runs from senior Kyle Stiner, junior Mitchell Garver and Peterson for a 9-1 lead. It was Stiner’s first homer of the year and Peterson’s 13th.
Stiner said the home runs buoyed the Lobos, who weren’t scoring other ways.
“We need to work on getting bunts down and moving guys over,” he said. “The home runs definitely helped out because we weren’t manufacturing runs today.”
Sanchez worked seven innings, striking out five and allowing one earned run, seven hits and three walks, to pick up his sixth win of the season. Junior pitcher Bobby Mares came off for his second save of the year. He pitched two shutout innings and allowed only one hit.
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Peterson said Sanchez has been consistent all year, and Sunday was just another strong outing for him.
“He’s been lights-out every time he’s thrown,” Peterson said, “He’s been incredible, and it’s good to have him on the mound for us hitters, and we gave him some support today.”
The sweep sets up a road showdown with second-place TCU. The Lobos beat TCU 12-7 at the teams’ last meeting on March 25. The regular-season conference winner gets an automatic bid to a NCAA regional.
Peterson said UNM’s series with TCU is laced with implications.
“I think we’re always thinking about TCU, even when we play UNLV, whoever we play,” Peterson said. “We’re just going to prepare like we do against everyone else.”
