It was a bittersweet moment on Santa Ana Star Field on May 15-17, as the University of New Mexico Lobos played their final regular season series against the Fresno State University Bulldogs. When the series was all said and done the Lobos said goodbye to the regular season and set their eyes on the Mountain West Tournament.
The Lobos started the series out with high energy and were ready to make their last home series count, for themselves and fans.
The Lobos had a slow start in the series opener, scoring just one run in the fourth inning. They picked up momentum in the fifth, driving in four runs. However, the Bulldogs responded quickly in the next inning, putting up four runs to take the lead. That surge proved decisive, as the game closed 7-5 with the Bulldogs taking the win.
This left the Lobos needing to pick up the slack in order to move up in the seeding for the Mountain West while also needing Nevada to lose their next two games to share the MW title.
The Lobos' second game in the series was another tight finish. This time, they managed to score in nearly every inning but couldn't build a lead of more than two runs. The Bulldogs edged them out once again, completing the game with an 11-10 victory.
Head Coach Tod Brown voiced his frustration after another tough, close loss.
“I'm not happy with the way we’re playing at the end of games — we're just trying to figure out how to not go to the bottom of the ninth,” Brown said.
As the Mountain West Championship draws near, the Lobos must address their late-inning performance and defensive consistency to improve their chances of advancing in the tournament.
It was senior day for the Lobos on Saturday, May 17, the last game of the series. It was a better turnout for the Lobos as they capitalized on many opportunities to put up more runs.
The Lobos scored four runs in the second inning but the Bulldogs also responded right back scoring four runs in the third inning. The Lobos still had the upper hand as they were capitalizing on scoring opportunities keeping them ahead but in the ninth inning the Bulldogs scored four runs looking to take the game late.
With the game on the line, Lobo pitcher Ryan Castillo delivered a sharp pitch that looked headed for center field, Lobo outfielder Khalil Walker had an eye on the ball as it came fast and low. In a stunning defensive play, Walker made a killer grab on the line drive, shutting down the final batter and locking in the 12-10 score giving the Lobos' seniors a dramatic final home victory.
“We could have lost all 3 games and we could have won all 3 games. We'll take our medicine and we’ll go play at Wednesday at 3 o'clock,” Brown said.
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Esmeralda Lozano is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
