The bats of the University of New Mexico baseball team came alive in a 20-9 victory over Central Michigan on cold and blustery Thursday evening at Santa Ana Star Field.
The Lobos and Chippewas combined to score 29 runs on 29 hits in a fairly sloppy game that included five errors between the two squads.
Shortstop Hayden Schilling, first baseman Jeff Deimling, and third baseman Connor Mang each drove in four runs for the Lobos, with Schilling leading all batters with four hits on the day. The 5-10, 177-pound junior from Santee, California scored the second run of the game for the Lobos on a double by Deimling as part of a nine-run first inning for UNM. Schilling would add an RBI single in the frame and a two-run double in the second inning to extend the Lobos’ lead to 11.
After a slow start offensively, the Chippewas scored seven runs in the fourth inning to cut the New Mexico lead to four. Right fielder Daniel Robinson plated two runs with a double to left field, and catcher Evan Kratt followed up with a two-run single of his own.
But the Lobos would respond with five runs in the next to innings to put the game away as the Chippewas managed to score only one more run in the game.
James Harrington pitched three innings of four-hit ball to earn a no-decision, with three earned runs and four walks. Drew Gillespie pitched four and two-thirds innings to earn the win in relief, allowing just one unearned run on one hit and two walks. Harrington, Gillespie, and Nick Krauth combined to allow ten hits and seven earned runs, allow the trio did allow eight walks in nine innings of work.
Michael Brettell lasted just two innings in the loss for Central Michigan. The junior from Fonthill, Ontario, allowed 12 earned runs on 12 hits, with four walks and zero strikeouts.
Although the two teams combined to score nearly 30 runs, neither squad managed to hit a home run in the game. Through five games and 170 combined at-bats, the Lobos have yet to hit their first home run of the 2018 season.
Game two of the four-game series starts at 6:00 pm on Friday at Santa Ana Star Field. Be sure to catch all of the action live and in crystal clear FM stereo on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM.