By Matthew Meyer (@mattmeyersjsu) – Spear Reporter | Head coach Brad Sanfilippo looks sternly toward the plate from the Spartans’ dugout (Photo by Matthew Meyer – Spear Photographer)
San Jose State baseball (6-13, 1-1 MWC) failed to rally late Saturday, losing 8-7 in the second game of their conference series against the University of New Mexico Lobos (13-6, 1-1 MWC).
The Spartans entered the bottom of the ninth down 8-3 but scored four runs after three hits, a walk, and two hit-by-pitches.
That rally brought redshirt junior infielder Alan Ramirez to the plate with the tying run on third and the winning run on first.
Ramirez grounded into a double play, ending the hopes of an impossible come from behind win.
The Lobos entered the game on a six game losing streak after starting the season 12-0.
“We got fight and we don’t quit and thats great,” SJSU head coach Brad Sanfilippo said. “We just made way too many mistakes to win that game today.”
The mistakes came from both senior right-handed pitcher Kyle Calzadiaz and fifth year right-handed pitcher Caden Duke, who failed to hold the Lobos to a one run lead in the top of the ninth and allowed them to score four runs.
Calzadiaz allowed a leadoff home run to graduate student outfielder Lenny Junior Ashby and was replaced by Duke. Duke then allowed back to back hits and committed a throwing error while fielding a bunt resulting in two unearned runs.
Duke failed to make it out of the inning and allowed a third run to score on an RBI single by Lobos graduate student outfielder Khalil Walker.
“We made mistake, after mistake, after mistake and allowed them to keep scoring,” Sanfilippo said.
Freshman Peyton Rowles committed an error in the fifth inning to allow an unearned run to score.
“I didn’t put a good glove on it today,” Rowles said. “I’ll bounce back tomorrow.”
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Luka Pintar started the game for the Spartans and allowed two runs in the first two innings.
Pintar pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs, one unearned, over six hits and two walks with only two strikeouts.
With this loss, his record now moves to 1-1 and his ERA increases to 4.7.
The Spartans did not score a run until the fifth inning when redshirt junior catcher Dylan Jackson hit an RBI triple, the first of his career, to score senior outfielder and right-handed pitcher Jake McCoy.
“We had our opportunities early, and we just never cashed in on them,” senior outfielder Alex Fernandes said.
The Spartans added two more the next inning, with both Ramirez and Fernandes recording RBIs to bring the score within one run.
“They’re a competitive team,” Fernandes said. “I don’t think anybody in our conference is better than anybody else.”
After the game, Sanfilippo met with the team in the outfield and was very loud and demonstrative as he addressed his players.
“Just play clean baseball,” Rowles said. “With that many mistakes it’s not gonna end in success and we just gotta be better.”
The Spartans look to close out their first conference series against the Lobos tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. at Excite Ballpark.
