May 19, 2007

Box Score

FORT WORTH, Texas - New Mexico avoided the sweep at TCU, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Horned Frogs with a 9-8 win in the final game of the 2007 regular season.

The Lobos jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. With runners at first and second and one out, Matt Hibbitts singled to right field, driving in the speedy Matt Foote. Ian Hollick followed with a grounder to second, plating Jordan Pacheco from third. With runners at first and second and two out, Adam Courcha laced a double into right field, bringing home Hibbitts and Jay Russell.

Russell drove in two more runs for New Mexico in the second, extending the lead to 6-0. Daniel Stovall and Drew McDonald joined in on the scoring in the fifth as Stovall's RBI-single scored McDonald.

TCU, led by Matt Vern, quickly got back in the game, scoring three in the fourth and fifth innings, cutting UNM's lead to one run. Vern doubled in each inning, driving in three of the team's six runs. One inning later a Clint Arnold sacrifice fly tied the game at 7-7.

The Lobos got back on track in the seventh, scoring two runs on singles from Stovall and Ian Hollick. TCU's Austin Adam's tried to rally the Horned Frogs with his two-out double center. Andrew Walker singled, driving in Adams to pull the team within one run of New Mexico but it wasn't enough as reliever Adam Skelton got Vern to fly out to end the game.

Skelton picked up the win, going 3.1 innings. He allowed just one run on three hits. Jacob Norton started the game for UNM, giving up six runs on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Donald Furrow was tagged with his first loss of the season (3-1), allowing two runs on two hits and two walks.

Stovall led the Lobos in hits, going 3-for-6 with two RBI. Pacheco was 2-for-3 with a team-high three runs scored. Russell was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Hollick finished 2-for-3, extending his hit streak to 21 games. Walker and Vern led TCU, going 4-for-5 and 3-for-5, respectively.

The Lobos, 26-28 overall and 12-12 in the Mountain West Conference, head to Earl E. Wilson Stadium on the UNLV campus for the MWC Championship beginning Wednesday. New Mexico most likely will be the fifth seed, playing in the 3 p.m. game.