May 25, 2007

Box Score Photo Gallery

LAS VEGAS - The New Mexico baseball team was sent packing from the Mountain West Conference Championship for the second straight year by the host team, UNLV. The Rebels, seeded sixth in the tournament, upset fifth-seeded UNM, 8-3 at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

UNLV scored one run in the third, fourth and fifth inning, building a 3-0 lead over the Lobos. In the third, the Rebels posted just one hit but a leadoff hit batter came back to bite UNM as the runner eventually scored on a wild pitch. Keith Smith scored the third run of the game off a solo home run.

The Lobos dug themselves even deeper in the sixth, committing two errors that led to a four-run inning for the Rebels and a 7-0 lead. Shane Dyer, UNM's starter, was relieved after hitting the leadoff batter. Dyer gave way to Adam Skelton, who looked like he would get the Lobos off the field with no damage done.

But a throwing error by Jordan Pacheco at second base, trying to turn the double play, sailed past Daniel Stovall at first, allowing two runs to score. Skelton couldn't get past the mistake easily, hitting the next batter and serving up a two-out double to Ryan Kowalski for the final two runs of the inning.

UNLV held an 8-0 lead before New Mexico got on the board. The Lobos capitalized on four outfield singles to score two runs.

They threatened again in the eighth with back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. But they couldn't get that clutch hit and didn't post a run in the inning.

Scott Gracey doubled with one out in the ninth and scored on a single from Jordan Pacheco but the deficit was just to great to overcome. The Lobos end the season 28-30 overall.

New Mexico out-hit UNLV, 12-8, with five batters posting two hits each. Scott Gracey was the only Lobo with a hit, RBI and run scored, going 2-for-3.