New Mexico had plenty of opportunities to continue its season in Sunday’s 5-3 loss to Dallas Baptist on Sunday afternoon.
However, the 13 runners left on base put an end to UNM’s postseason dreams.
UNM never held a lead in the elimination game behind starting pitcher Carson Schneider’s 5.0 innings of work. The junior lefty allowed three runs on eight hits. He gave up a lone walk while striking out two.
Darick Hall got things going for the Patriots with a two-out RBI single to right field in the first to give DBU the lead.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the second, Lobos catcher Andrew Pratt hit a sac fly to centerfield to get the game back to a one run contest. First baseman Jack Zoellner followed suit with an RBI single in the bottom of the third to tie the game, 2-2.
That would be the last time UNM and DBU would be tied.
In the top of the fifth inning, Trooper Reynolds collected a base-knock for another 2-out RBI single, giving the Patriots the lead once more, one they would not give up.
Tim Millard would add some insurance for DBU with an RBI single up the middle in the top of the sixth inning.
UNM once more would shrink the lead to one run off of the scorching bat of Luis Gonzalez - collecting his only hit this afternoon - but his eighth of the regional tournament. His RBI single put the game at 4-3.
The Lobos posed a promising threat down two runs after Carl Stajduhar was plunked in the wrist and Chris DeVito drew his third walk of the game to start the bottom of the seventh. Jack Zoellner did his job advancing both runners on a sacrifice bunt, putting the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.
But the theme of struggling with runners continued, and the Lobo offense stranded the two runners, putting an end to its opportunity.
DBU catcher Matt Duce hit a leadoff homer in the eighth inning to put an end to the day’s scoring.
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In the bottom of the eight, the tying runs again were on the base path for UNM, after Pratt led off the inning with a single and Jared Holley reached first on a two-out error.
But Stajduhar, the Mountain West Player of the Year, continued his struggles at the dish and couldn’t bring home either of the runners aboard to end yet another potential scoring opportunity.
The Lobos had one last chance to do some damage after Jared Mang ripped a two-out double off the top of the left field wall. Reece Weber represented the tying run, but grounded out helplessly to the shortstop to bring an end to the tournament and the season for New Mexico.
"We played two close ball games with two outstanding teams," Head coach Ray Birmingham said in his post-game interview on Sunday afternoon. "We'll be back in a Regional, we'll be in a Super Regional, and we'll scratch and claw until we get there."
UNM finished the season at 39-23 while DBU’s hopes of advancing to the Super Regionals remain after beating Texas Tech 10-6 on Sunday evening.
The Lobos have still not yet been able to win more than one game in a regional tournament in its program’s history.
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
