Ninth-inning stings UNM baseball in 14-13 defeat

The New Mexico baseball team seemed to have everything going its way in the ninth inning Friday.

The Lobos, who had already come from behind four times against visiting Rhode Island, put runners on first and third with no outs and their 2-3-4 hitters coming up.

Three popups later, UNM trudged off Santa Ana Star Field on the short end of a 14-13 slugfest. It was a sour outcome for the Lobos, who led 11-9 after seven innings and 13-12 after eight.

“Pitching, pitching, pitching,” UNM coach Tod Brown said, shaking his head. “I don’t know how many games we have to lose when we score 13, 14 runs. We gave up five runs in the last two innings with our closer on the mound. It’s just tragic.”

It’s the Lobos’ third loss this season when scoring double-digit runs, all of them coming at home. New Mexico’s bats did their part with 15 hits, including four home runs, but the Lobos were not able to produce when it mattered most.

“First and third, no outs,” Brown said, “got to find a way to get a run home.”

Several Lobos had good days at the plate, including Jordy Oriach, who went 4-for-6 with a homer, a triple and three RBIs. Shortstop Josh McAlister bashed a pair of two-run homers, and outfielder Khalil Walker added a solo home run and a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth.

Walker advanced to third on a bunt by Cooper Brass, beating the tag to put runners on the corners with no outs. But Tye Wood, Oriach and Ethan Ott hit consecutive infield popups to make a winner out of Rhode Island reliever Joe Sabbath.

It was a tough day on the mound for UNM pitchers, particularly starter Diego Alvarez and closer Daxton Purser. Alvarez labored through 4 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits and nine runs. Josh Barnhouse came on to get the final out of the fifth and worked scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, but left after allowing a single and a walk to start the eighth.

With UNM leading 11-9, Rams leadoff hitter Anthony DePino tagged Purser for a three-run homer to give his team the lead. DePino had a monster day for Rhode Island, going 3-for-6 with two homers and five RBIs.

UNM answered in the bottom of the eighth, when Oriach tripled and scored on an Ethan Ott double. Akili Carris followed with an RBI single to put the Lobos up 13-12.

But Purser could not slam the door, allowing a single and back-to-back walks to open the Rhode Island ninth. Scott Penney’s two-run single then drove home the tying and eventual winning runs.

Frustrated as he was, Brown did his best to look ahead. The Lobos (5-5) and Rams (4-4) meet again Saturday and conclude the series with a doubleheader Sunday. Admission for Saturday’s 3 p.m. game is free.

“The good news is, the sun will come up tomorrow,” Brown said. “It’s supposed to be a nice day. We’ll see if we show up ready to play.”