April 17, 2008
Albuquerque Journal
Lobos Falter Vs. 'Cats
By Ken Sickenger, Journal Staff WriterThere's not much margin for error when you're trying knock off a nationally ranked program.
Errors came back to bite the University of New Mexico baseball team Wednesday in a 4-2 loss to Arizona at wind-blown Isotopes Park.
It wasn't just fielding miscues (each team had three) that did in the Lobos (24-14). Hit batsmen, untimely walks and a blown hit-and-run play also contributed.
"One thing I've tried to do is keep us from beating ourselves," UNM coach Ray Birmingham said, "but we didn't help the cause today."
Much like in Tuesday's 10-6 loss to the 22nd-ranked Wildcats (22-11), the Lobos were burned by one bad inning. In this case it was the fifth when Arizona cashed in for three of its runs.
Ironically, New Mexico had just used some nifty execution to plate the game's first run in the bottom of the fourth. Brian Cavazos-Galvez led off with double, advanced to third on Kevin Atkinson's fly ball to right and came home on a well-placed bunt by Ian Hollick.
But after cruising through the first four innings, Lobo starter Will Kerr abruptly lost his command in the fifth. A leadoff walk, a hit batsman and several hitter-friendly counts contributed to a three-run Wildcats rally.
UNM had a chance to answer in the bottom of the fifth, when Mike Brownstein hit a one-out single. Brownstein, who was 2-for-4, advanced to third when Arizona catcher Daniel Butler threw the ball into center field on ball four to Drew McDonald.
The Wildcats brought in fireballing reliever Ryan Perry, whose fastball was clocked as swift as 98 mph. With Matt Hibbitts at the plate, Birmingham opted to gamble on a hit-and-run.
It blew up when Hibbitts failed to swing at Perry's first pitch with the runners breaking. Brownstein was ultimately thrown out at home, and Hibbitts was called out for batter interference. Inning over.
"I didn't think (Hibbitts) interfered at the dish," Birmingham said, "but it's the umpire's call. Bottom line, we didn't execute."
The Wildcats added a run in the sixth when T.J. Steele doubled and later scored on a misplayed pop-fly single to shallow right. Lobo reliever Clinton Cox shut Arizona out for the final three innings, but thanks in part to four UA double plays, New Mexico trailed 4-1 entering its final at-bat.
Singles by Kevin Atkinson, Rafael Neda and Bobby Moore cut the deficit to 4-2 and put the tying runs on base with one out. Wildcats closer Jason Stoffel rallied to strike out Scott Gracey, however, and Brownstein's line drive to second base ended the game.
"The mental mistakes were disappointing," said Neda, a Tucson native who was 2-for-3 against his hometown school. "But we've made some adjustments and are playing better against good teams. (Mountain West) Conference games are more important, but I want to get (Arizona) next week."
The Lobos host Utah in a three-game series beginning Friday at Isotopes Park. They visit Arizona for two games starting Tuesday.
"Arizona's pitching staff was ranked best in the country in the preseason," Birmingham said. "Their bullpen right now is light-years away from ours.
"But we had a chance to win both of these games, and that wasn't the case against ranked teams a month ago. I am seeing growth in our program."
Up next
Friday: New Mexico vs. Utah, 6 p.m., Isotopes Park