Every game this season is a learning experience for the UNM baseball team.
So says head coach Ray Birmingham.
But Tuesday at Isotopes Park showed that the future looks bright for the Lobos.
UNM put up nine runs in the second inning, seven before the Bearcats could get a single out.
Heading into the third inning, the Lobos had a 14-1 lead.
The Lobos never stopped the offensive display and UNM cruised past Binghamton 16-2.
“We’re just continuing to try and raise puppies to play the game the right way,” Birmingham said. “Learning how to play the game the right way is the key to me, and the score doesn’t mean anything to me.”
The Lobos made Bearcats starting pitcher Jack Rogalla exit the game with only an inning’s worth of work.
Rogalla finished with eight hits, 10 earned runs and walked five UNM batters.
The Lobos cycled through their lineup in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Kyle Stiner doubled down the right field line and started the scoring onslaught for UNM in the second.
Freshman D.J. Peterson, who was part of the first and second inning offensive output, went 3-for-4 against the Bearcats.
On the three hits, Peterson drove in four RBIs and scored three runs.
He said the Lobos’ performance against the Bearcats was good for team morale.
“Everybody hit today,” Peterson said. “But we’ve been struggling a little bit with the bats, so seeing the pitching, getting good at bats and getting good hits definitely gets the confidence going.”
Peterson said he and Birmingham have had a disagreement on the way he has been swinging the bat so far this season.
But that changed against Binghamton.
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“Me and Coach B have been fighting a little bit about my swing,” Peterson said. “But we’ve done a lot of work over the last two weeks and it worked tonight.”
The Lobos also went with a freshman on the mound.
Sam Wilson pitched five good innings.
However, he made a mistake in the top of the first that allowed a Bearcat run.
“I didn’t really do my job the first couple of innings,” he said. “I didn’t cover first base (in the first inning). Coach was upset about it and so was I.”
But Wilson calmed his nerves and allowed only four hits and one earned run in his five innings of work.
“When you get a lot of runs behind you, it’s pretty easy to go out there and pitch,” Wilson said. “You just need to go out there and throw strikes.”
With Wilson sitting down Bearcats and the UNM offense finding its rhythm, Binghamton was stunned.
While there is no run-rule in college baseball, the Bearcats conceded the game in the middle of the seventh inning. Both coaching staffs agreed on ending the game in the seventh.
Birmingham said because Binghamton has been playing several road games in the past weeks, the Bearcats pitching staff has been overused.
“They’re on a long road trip and their pitching staff is stretched,” Birmingham said. “Now they have to go down to New Mexico State (on Thursday). They better be ready down there because they’re going to get some home cooking, with some hitters and that wind blowing.”
*UNM 16
Binghamton 2*
*Baseball vs. Binghamton
Today, 1 p.m.
Isotopes Park*
