By Ricardo Garcia (@SJSURicardoG) — Reporter
San Jose State baseball (23-19,12-10 MW) defeated the University of New Mexico (16-25, 7 -15 MW) 17-16 in a matchup that mirrored a boxing match between two heavyweight titans.
Both teams pushed each other until the very last out. However, SJSU sparked a five run rally in the ninth inning to come back and secure the win.
The Spartans wasted no time getting to work early, putting up four runs in the first two innings establishing the tone early on. The Lobos answered back by tacking on two of their runs to cut the lead by two.
After back-to-back scoreless innings from both squads, the contest moved into the fifth inning where things started to heat up on the offensive side of the ball.
SJSU tapped into its early aggression on offense, swinging the bat well and getting runners on base to set up a two-RBI single from senior shortstop Ruben Mercado. The Spartans added five more runs to make it a 9-2 game.
Despite the deep hole, New Mexico found its stride by adding four runs to keep the game close.
After three more innings, the score was 12-8, with SJSU maintaining the lead heading into the eighth.The Spartans could not capitalize on offense and the Lobos took full advantage exploding for eight runs in the eighth, including a grand slam from sophomore outfielder Lenny Junior Ashby.
In a sudden turn of events, New Mexico had its first lead of the game late in the contest and gained momentum to try and close the game out, leading 16-12.
With only three outs to make it happen, SJSU was tasked with piecing together a near-perfect rally to try and steal the late win. They did just that, adding five runs in the top of the ninth to lock down the victory.
Sophomore utility player Charles McAdoo had a standout game going 4-for-6 with two doubles and three RBIs. McAdoo extended his on-base streak to 42 games after today’s match.
This win extends The Spartan’s current win streak to three games as they approach the last couple of series in the regular season.
The Spartans will look to keep the streak alive as they face off against the Lobos in game two of the three-game series on April 30 . The first pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in Albuquerque, New Mexico.