The University of New Mexico Lobos faced off against the rival New Mexico State University Aggies for the last time this season and delivered a game-winning strikeout April 22, ending the final match up 7-6. The Lobos faced the Aggies four times this season, which all ended in victories.
Leading 7-6 on the scoreboard and having two outs, the Lobos struck out the last batter, eliminating the possibilities of a tied game. This is the first time this season the Lobos had a one-run advantage over the Aggies, where victory was truly on the line.
The Lobos took control early, from strong contact at the plate to capitalizing on scoring opportunities. The Lobos put up seven runs through five innings as Dayne Pengelly held it down on the mound, serving seven innings with only four runs allowed.
“Pengelly was great; we know that's the kind of outing he's capable of,” Head Coach Tod Brown said. “(He) did a lot to save the bullpen for the weekend, which might be the most important thing. There's a lot of season left, so it's promising.”
Pitcher Luke Wiseman took the mound after Pengelly. He shared his thoughts going into the game against NMSU.
“They're going to throw their best stuff at us and try to beat us,” Wiseman said. “It's going to be competitive. It's a rival series; they're gonna do anything they can to win.”
After Wiseman gave up just one run, Ty Cunningham followed up to the mound, keeping pressure on the Aggies. With the Lobos up 7-6 on the scoreboard, one runner on base for the Aggies and with two outs, Cunningham stepped up, striking out the last Aggie.
“We felt like we made some progress last weekend on the road at UNLV,” Brown said. “We've put ourselves in a position to keep building momentum ahead of that final home series with Fresno, but we need to keep putting together complete weeks.”
The Lobos sit tied for No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference with the University of Nevada. The coaching staff said it is locked in for conference games, and the next few matchups are key to keeping the team sharp and building momentum.
Esmeralda Lozano is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
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