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The New Mexico baseball team’s focus wasn’t entirely on in-state rival New Mexico State on Wednesday.
The Lobos managed to demolish the Aggies 13-6 on a blustery day at Lobo Field, even with a critical Mountain West Conference series at Nevada this weekend on their minds. With the win, UNM avenged an earlier 10-5 loss at NMSU.
“The Rio Grande Rivalry is a good deal, a big deal, a friendly deal,” head coach Ray Birmingham said. “Baseball is a little different sport than basketball and football … I’m managing pitching, and that’s the big deal for me.”
Both the Aggies and the Lobos deployed seven pitchers apiece. UNM starter Taylor Duree tossed a game-high 2 1/3 innings, allowing four runs, two of them earned, on four hits with three walks.
“Today was a day that we wanted to get some mound time,” Birmingham said. “These games are for us to see if (pitcher) Jake McCasland can figure it out … We wanted to get our young kids some mound time.”
In the top of the fifth inning, leading the Aggies 7-2 with one out and the bases loaded, NMSU center fielder Kyle Phillips singled to left field to bring in two runs, cutting the deficit to 7-4. After Aggie second baseman Kent Blackstone walked, Lobo pitcher Hobie McClain struck out left fielder Quinnton Mack to end the inning.
UNM answered with two runs in the bottoms of the fifth, seventh and eighth to push its lead to 13-4. NMSU added two runs in the top of the ninth, making the final score 13-6. The Lobos tallied 14 hits, compared to the Aggies’ 11, and scored at least one run in each inning except the sixth.
Mitch Garver, who went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and started in left field for the first time this year, said the Aggies (19-18) didn’t help themselves by committing six errors.
“It feels good. It’s our final game here and we’re going out with a bang,” he said. “They didn’t play the cleanest baseball, and we did a better job of handling the baseball.”
McCasland (1-0) earned his first victory of the season by throwing 1 1/2 innings, giving up one earned run and walking one. He struck out three.
NMSU starter Robert Kraft (0-1) received the loss after one inning of work. He allowed three runs, one of which was earned, on three hits. Aggie junior catcher Tanner Rust went 3-for-5, hitting two home runs with two RBIs, and scored two runs.
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This weekend, UNM (21-16, 11-4 MWC), which currently holds first place in the MWC, travels to Nevada for a crucial three-game series. In March, the Lobos took their first series against Nevada 2-1 after winning the finale 7-5.
“We’re pumped about it. Nevada is a really good team, and we knew that when they came here,” said third baseman Alex Allbritton, who went 2-for-5 against the Aggies. “We snuck one from them and they snuck one from us. It’s going to be a really good battle this weekend.”
