by Phil Parker
Daily Lobo
After a streak of blown leads cost the Lobo baseball team five of its last six games, it was finally UNM's turn to come from behind Sunday at Lobo Field.
Timely hitting, key defensive and baserunning plays enabled UNM to pull out a tight 5-4, 10-inning win against the San Diego State Aztecs.
A home run by Josh Mader in the seventh gave the Lobos a 3-2 lead heading into the eighth inning. But Lobo starter Darren Coltrinari threw a pitch that catcher Jeff Grady could not handle which resulted in an unearned run and a 3-3 tie. Grady was charged with a passed ball on the play. Coltrinari then gave up an RBI single to Ryan Wilson with two outs, giving SDSU the lead and ending Cotrinari's day on the mound after nearly eight strong innings of work.
UNM entered the bottom of the ninth in a 4-3 hole. Leading off the inning, junior outfielder Sean Murray was thrown out at first, but first baseman Chris Alexander reached base with one out after getting hit on the arm.
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Designated hitter Joe Salas stepped to the plate and cranked out a shot to center that sent Alexander sprinting. As he rounded the bases, Alexander was given the sign to stop by the third base coach, but he ran for home anyway and barely beat the throw from center. The umpire seemed ready to call Alexander out, then changed his mind and gave the "safe" signal. The run tied the game at 4-4.
"I saw the signal [to stop] a little late," Alexander said. "I was already halfway there, and it was a close play at the plate but I think I barely got in under the glove."
"I looked up and saw that he was about to ring me up," Alexander added. "Then he changed his mind at the last second. I think he made the right call."
Salas was 3-4 in the game with the one crucial RBI.
The 10th inning saw more craziness when Lobo reliever Chad Giannetti faced Wilson with runners at first and third and only one out. Giannetti appeared to lose control and threw a ball that landed about halfway between the mound and the plate. Aztec players and coaches called for a balk that would have scored the runner at third, but the play was ruled a ball and Wilson promptly hit into a double play, ending the jam for Giannetti.
The winning hit came off the bat of junior Josh Jezek, who singled to center, scoring Grady and winning the game. The Lobo dugout, whose players were sporting their caps inside-out, erupted.
With the bullpen struggling in recent games, Giannetti was glad to be able to come in and give his team a chance to win.
Shortstop Dusty Young singled in the third extending his school-record hitting streak to 38 games, unofficially tied for the seventh-longest streak in NCAA D-I history.
The win moved the Lobos (25-15) into a three-way tie for second in the Mountain West Conference. The Lobos, Aztecs, and BYU Cougars all share 9-6 MWC records.
UNM dropped the first game of the series 10-9 on Friday after blowing a 9-6 ninth inning lead but bounced back with a 14-11 victory on Saturday.
The Lobos play host to Texas Tech University at Lobo Field at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
