Jared Mang drove in two runs and hit his third home run of the season on Sunday afternoon in Reno, Nevada, but it wasn’t enough offense as the Lobos dropped the rubber match of a three-game series against the Wolf Pack.
Nevada jumped out to an early five-run lead with a three-run third inning highlighted by a home run by third baseman Joshua Zamora. The Wolf Pack would plate three runs on just two hits in the frame, as UNM starter Drew Gillespie posted a hit batter and a balk in the inning.
The Lobos scored a pair of runs in each of the next two innings to cut the lead to just one run, as Mang blasted a two-run home run down the left field line. Momentum appeared to be in the favor of the Lobos, but UNM would not score another run in the game as three Nevada relief pitchers combined to log four scoreless innings.
The Wolf Pack hung on to win the opening game of the series 5-3 on Friday night despite a late rally by the Lobos in the eighth and ninth innings. Zamora and shortstop Jaylon McLaughin each noticed three hits for Nevada in the game, as the big 6’6” southpaw Ryan Anderson pitched six and two-thirds innings of four-hit baseball to earn his fourth victory of the season. Anderson allowed just one earned run, with six strikeouts and one walk.
UNM started Justin Slate pitched well for the Lobos, with two earned runs and six strikeouts over six innings of work, and shortstop Hayden Schilling went three-for-four, with one RBI and one double.
The bats came alive for the Lobos in game two of the three-game series with UNM scoring seven runs in the first four frames on their way to a 9-3 win. The Mang brothers, Connor and Jared, combined five hits in eight at-bats, with six runs batted in and two runs scored.
Starting pitcher Nathaniel Garley tossed a five-hit gem to earn his fourth victory on the season, with four strikeouts and one walk in seven innings of work.
The Lobos leave Reno with an 11-7 record overall and a 3-3 record in Mountain West Conference play. Ray Birmingham’s squad hosts Oklahoma for a quick two-game series starting on Tuesday at Santa Ana Star Field before continuing MW conference play against San Diego State at home this weekend.
Be sure to catch all the action live and in FM Stereo on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM, and streaming online at www.1017theteam.com.