UNM SWEEPS TWINBILL FROM JACKRABBITS

Saturday, February 24

Albuquerque, N.M.

noon MT/1 p.m. CT

South Dakota State University

New Mexico

Photo by: Chris Board

2/24/2024 9:22:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico rallied in the late innings to win the opener, then carried the momentum into the nightcap to sweep a college baseball doubleheader from South Dakota State Saturday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field.

In winning three of the four games in the series, UNM improved to 5-3 overall. The Jackrabbits dropped to 3-5.

Game 1: New Mexico 9, South Dakota State 8
For the second straight day, the Lobos scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to record a walkoff win, prevailing 9-8.

Trailing 8-3, New Mexico began its comeback with three runs in the bottom of the seventh by scoring three times with the aid of two Jackrabbit throwing errors. The Lobos pulled to within 8-7 in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Konner Kinkade, but SDSU maintained the lead by turning an inning-ending around-the-horn double play with the tying run at third base.

Ethan Ott began the bottom of the ninth for UNM with a ground-rule double to left center off Sam Schlecht. Closer Alex Clemons then entered and proceeded to walk two of the next three hitters. Pinch runner Andrew Neil scored the tying run on a wild pitch and Will Asby plated the game-winning run with a single through a drawn-in infield.

SDSU staked starter Jake Goble to a 3-0 lead with two runs in the second inning and another run in the fourth. Carter Sintek drove in Cael Frost with the first run of the game with an RBI single and Sintek later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jess Bellows.

Bellows knocked in the fourth-inning run with a base hit that scored Cade Stuff.

UNM tied the game at 3-all with a three-run home half of the fourth, highlighted by an RBI triple by Reed Spenrath and a run-scoring double by Tye Wood.

The Jackrabbits regained the lead by putting three runs on the board in the top of the fifth. Dawson Parry drove in the first run with a single to right and Cael Frost followed with a run-scoring double to the left-center gap. Parry later scored on a sacrifice fly by Sintek.

Frost upped the SDSU lead to five runs with a two-run home run to right after Parry opened the frame with a double. Frost and Cade Stuff each were 3-for-4 to lead the Jackrabbits' 14-hit attack.

Kinkade, Ott and Josh McAlister each tallied two of New Mexico's 12 hits.

Goble scattered seven hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Justin Still pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the win for New Mexico.

Game 2: New Mexico 13, South Dakota State 2 (7 inn.)
UNM scored in every inning and ended the game early via the 10-run rule.

The Lobos notched two runs in each of the first three innings, opening the scoring on a two-run home run by Will Asby in the bottom of the first. Kinkade added a two-run single in the second inning, while Wood and Sean Stephens delivered run-scoring singles in the third. UNM's third-inning runs came after the Jackrabbits posted their first run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Parry in the top of the third.

Thatcher Kozal accounted for the other SDSU run with a solo homer in the top of the fifth.

UNM tacked on two runs in the fifth inning and added another in the sixth before ending the game with a two-run homer by Gene Trujillo.

Luke Mansy paced the Lobos' 14-hit attack with a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Sintek and Cohen Henry each tallied two of SDSU's nine hits.

Jackrabbit starter Will Kent lasted only 2 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out two in taking his first loss of the season.

Wil Bannister gave up two runs over five innings to earn the win for the Lobos while striking out five and walking two.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits continue play on the road by opening a four-game series at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Friday, March 1. Game time is set for 3 p.m.

NOTES

New Mexico leads the all-time series, 26-4
Bellows extended his hitting streak to 16 games, dating back to last season, in the opener, but did not play in Game 2
Bellows also reached base safely for the 26^th consecutive game
Parry went 0-for-3 in Game 2 to snap a nine-game hitting streak
SDSU has homered in all eight games this season

-GoJacks.com-