The UNM baseball team didn’t look like the defending Mountain West Conference champion when it opened its title defense with a disastrous 21-0 loss to Brigham Young University Thursday at the Albuquerque Sports Stadium.
The Cougars turned a close game into a football-like score with nine runs in the seventh and ninth innings. The Lobos also were stymied by the pitching of BYU starter Nate Fernley.
The Lobos dropped to 0-1 in the conference and 6-12 overall. The Cougars improved to 9-8, 1-0 in the conference.
The Lobo bullpen allowed 16 runs and five home runs in just three innings of work.
“We have got to come in and shut people out,” head coach Rich Alday said. “Our bullpen was really disappointing. The big innings have been killing us all year.”
Fernley kept the Lobo bats quiet, allowing seven hits in seven innings and improving his record to 6-0. He did this despite getting his pitching hand stepped on by his catcher early in the game.
“He is very, very good,” Alday said. “He kept us off balance by mixing up his pitches and their defense played good behind him.”
The bullpen spoiled a decent outing by senior David Young, who pitched six innings and gave up five runs, but fell to 0-4.
Trailing 3-0 entering the top of the seventh, Young gave up a lead-off double to center fielder Shane Belliston and then a triple to right fielder Matt Carson. Freshman pitcher James Vermilyea replaced Young and the hit parade began. Cougar shortstop Seth King promptly greeted Vermilyea with a home run just inside the left-field foul pole. BYU recorded two more home runs, sent 12 men to the plate and scored nine runs on eight hits, on its way to collecting 24 hits for the game.
Vermilyea gave up seven runs in two-thirds of an inning. However, he was not the only one in the bullpen to give up runs.
The Cougars tacked on nine more runs in the ninth inning, sending 12 more men to the plate and adding two more home runs. The first homer was a towering shot by designated hitter Jeff Hiestand in which none of the Lobo outfielders moved to chase the ball. Lobo pitcher Marvin Wong gave up all nine runs.
“We have to look ourselves in the mirror and step up,” Young said. “This is conference play, and these are the games that count.”
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UNM did make some great plays defensively. Centerfielder Mark Okano made a sliding catch to save a hit in the third inning. In the fifth inning, freshman third baseman Chris Collins made a diving stab to his left to save a hit and second baseman Troy Cairns quickly reacted to a slow roller up the middle to throw out a runner.
The Lobos have been shut out for the third time this season, the most since 1991.
UNM and BYU continue its three-game series today in the Albuquerque Sports Stadium at 7 p.m.
