ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – San Diego State stumbled out the gates Saturday en route to a 19-5 defeat at the hands of New Mexico in the second game of a Mountain West weekend series at Santa Ana Star Field.
The Lobos (22-19, 11-9 MW) capitalized on two Aztec errors in the first inning, scoring four runs on four hits to grab an early lead they would not relinquish.
In all, six SDSU hurlers allowed 19 runs on 16 hits and 10 walks with three wild pitches and a hit batter.
Conversely, the Aztecs (11-31, 5-15 MW) were held scoreless until the ninth when the Scarlet and Black tallied five markers on just one hit with four walks, one error and a hit batter.
SDSU was unable to solve UNM starter Brett Russell (4-0), who offset three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts across seven innings to remain unbeaten on the year, while Omar Serrano (3-5) lasted five innings in the loss for the Aztecs.
A total of 11 Lobos finished with at least one hit for the afternoon, with six players contributing at least two RBIs.
Will Asby recorded a game-high three hits, while Gene Trujillo smacked a three-run homer in the eighth inning to close out the scoring for the Lobos, who also received a solo blast from Josh McAlister earlier in the sixth.
After building a 7-0 bulge, New Mexico combined for 12 runs in the seventh and eighth innings to turn the contest into a runaway.
Down to their last out, SDSU scraped for five runs off reliever Andrew Neil, who walked David Whittle and Irvin Weems, with the former scoring on Zane Kelly's RBI single. Following another walk to Evan Sipe, which loaded the bases, Weems crossed the plate when Cade Martinez was hit by a pitch.
Shortly thereafter, Brady Lavoie hit a tapper in front of home plate, but catcher Austin Munguia threw the ball wildly down the first-base line into the right-field corner, as all three runners circled the bases to account for the final score.
Earlier, Lavoie tallied two hits, including his first triple of the season in the sixth inning.
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San Diego State will look to salvage the final game of its weekend trip when it battles New Mexico once again on Sunday, beginning at noon MT/11 a.m. PT.
Aztecs Fall at New Mexico on Saturday
