Win Helps UNM Stay On Heels of TCU in MWC Race

It didn’t exactly feel like a pivotal Mountain West Conference baseball game.

Maybe it was the noon starting time, or maybe a 10-run seventh-inning rally that lasted 30 minutes. More likely it was the 22-4 margin by which the University of New Mexico routed Air Force at Isotopes Park.

Still, Thursday’s opener of a three-game series had implications.

	Today Air Force at UNM, noon, Isotopes Park Radio: KQTM-FM (101.7)

First, it served as a final nail in the Falcons’ MWC tournament hopes. AFA needed to sweep the series to move past fourth-place UNLV in the standings and qualify for next week’s tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.

Second, the win kept the Lobos’ hopes alive for at least a share of the league’s regular-season title. UNM (31-22, 16-6) came into the series trailing TCU by one game.

The Frogs open a three-game set tonight against San Diego State. By then, the Lobos hope to have two wins on the board.

“That’s the only benefit we’ve got playing noon games,” UNM coach Ray Birmingham said. “We want TCU to feel some pressure. Go Aztecs!”

The Lobos took a while to warm to the task Thursday, leading just 4-2 when they came to bat in the bottom of the fifth. But an eight-run uprising in the fifth and a 10-run seventh eliminated any suspense.

Mitchell Garver paced New Mexico’s 22-hit attack, going 5-for-7 with three doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs. Like many of the Lobos, Garver’s reaction to the one-sided win was only lukewarm.

“There was room for improvement in all parts of the game,” he said. “In a game like this you can try to boost the stats a little bit, but the biggest thing is to play the game right. We were just OK today.”

Certainly there were highlights, topped by freshman Ryan Padilla’s grand slam to right field in the seventh. It was the third homer of the year for Padilla, who finished 2-for-4 with five RBIs.

“I still have some things to work on before the end of the season,” Padilla said, “but that definitely felt good.”

Austin House (6-5) got the pitching victory, allowing two runs in six innings. While solid, House was not nearly as sharp as when he tossed a complete-game shutout against the Falcons last month in Colorado Springs.

The right-hander surrendered just two hits and struck out five Thursday, but he also walked four and hit his 20th batter of the season. Birmingham pulled House aside for a postgame chat.

“Austin makes some great pitches,” Birmingham said, “but he sometimes takes a pitch off. You can’t do that in the postseason. That’s what we talked about.”

Josh Melendez collected four hits and stole his 21st base in 22 tries for Lobos. Ben Woodchick, Kyle Stiner and Alex Real each finished with two hits and three RBIs.

Brian Sicher was 2-for-2 with an RBI triple to pace the Falcons (14-37, 5-17), who ended up with eight hits and employed seven pitchers.

UNM and Air Force will have noon starts today and Saturday. The early games are necessary because the Albuquerque Isotopes also are playing at home this week.

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