ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico scored 11 unanswered runs on its way to defeating Utah Valley, 14-6, on Sunday afternoon at Santa Ana Star Field to sweep the three-game non-conference series.
With the setback, UVU falls to 9-42 on the season while the Mountain West Lobos improve to 12-23 with the win.
UVU will next head to the Emerald City for a key WAC series at Seattle U next weekend. The final four-game league series of the 2021 season will run Thursday to Saturday, May 20-22, and a trip to the WAC Baseball Tournament will be on the line for both teams. UVU, SU and Northern Colorado will enter next weekend all tied in the win column with seven conference victories apiece. Only one of the three teams will be left out of the 2021 WAC Tournament field. To view the current WAC standings, click HERE.
With New Mexico holding to an early 3-0 lead in the third, UVU struck back with three runs in the top of the frame to tie the contest at 3-3. With the bases loaded and two away,
Kade Poulsen delivered a two-run double to right to bring in
Garrett Broussard and
Tavyn Lords to make it 3-2. After
Alexander Marco was hit by a pitch to again load the bases,
Drew Sims followed by taking one for the team to drive in
Mick Madsen and tie the game.
The Wolverines then got two more runs in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. With
Pacen Hayes and Broussard on base following a single and a walk,
Mitch Moralez then drove in Hayes with an RBI groundout to first to give UVU a 4-3 advantage. Madsen then followed with an RBI single thru the right side to bring in Broussard and extend Utah Valley's lead to 5-3.
The Lobos responded with three runs in the fifth to take a 6-5 advantage and tacked on eight more in the sixth to put the game away. Lance Russell and Connor Mang both drove in runs for UNM in the fifth, while Shane Podsednik capped the big sixth inning with a bases-clearing double down the rightfield line.
After Moralez reached on an error in the seventh, Madsen then doubled to right to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out in the seventh. Poulsen would then follow with a sacrifice fly to deep left to bring in Moralez and make it a 14-6 contest. That was as close as the Wolverines would get the rest of the way however, as UNM would go on to win by eight runs.
UNM reliever Riley Egloff was credited with the win after tossing 5.0 innings of effective relief to improve to 1-1 on the year. UVU's
Nick Sims was tagged with the loss to drop to 1-7.
Poulsen and Madsen led UVU offensively on the day by recording two hits apiece. Poulsen went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a double while Madsen finished with a 2-for-5 showing with an RBI, a double and a run scored. Podsednik paced UNM by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs and a pair of doubles while Kyler Castillo went 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
The Seattle U series will mark UVU's final series of the 2021 season. The 2021 WAC Tournament will be held the following week, May 26-30, at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz.
