LAS VEGAS - New Mexico freshman third baseman Jay Russell's two-out single to right field in the bottom of the ninth scored right fielder Sean Murray to keep the Lobos (26-28-1) alive in the elimination bracket of the 2004 Mountain West Conference tournament and defeat Utah (22-36) 9-8 on Friday afternoon.
Utah took an early lead, as second baseman Jared Pena knocked a solo-shot over the wall in right center in the top of the second inning, his eighth of the year. The Utes continued to score three more runs on an RBI double to right center by designated hitter Tyson Olson, and RBI singles by left fielder John Welsh and third baseman Jay Brossman.
New Mexico was quick to answer as right fielder Sean Murray tripled down the left field line to score designated hitter Joe Salas before first baseman Daniel Stovall and second baseman Matt Foote each drove in runs, pushing the score to 4-3.
The Lobos took the lead in the bottom of the third as Murray doubled down the left field line to score shortstop Josh Mader and Stovall's single to right center scored Murray. That lead would hold until the seventh, when New Mexico pitcher Cooper Eddy hit Utah center fielder Matt Ciaramella with the bases loaded to tie up the game at 5-5.
Utah took the lead in the eighth as Eddy hit another batter with the bases loaded, this time Utah's Khoury. The Utes then tacked on two more runs on a fielder's choice ball hit by Brossman and an RBI single by Ciaramella, taking an 8-5 lead.
New Mexico led off the bottom of the eighth with back-to-back solo home runs by Stovall and catcher A.J. Spitaleri. The Lobos threatened again in the inning but Utah reliever Ben Buck got Lobo left fielder Garrick Haymore to hit into a double play to end the inning. Murray's double to center field scored Mader to tie up the game 8-8 in the bottom of the ninth inning before Russell singled to score Murray and end the game.
Utah starter Clay Westmoreland went seven innings, allowing seven runs on ten hits while walking three and striking out none. Reliever Ben Buck (6-5), who entered the game in the eighth, was charged with the loss for Utah. Ciaramella finished 2-for-4 with 2 RBI while Welsh was 3-for-5 with an RBI and Brossman was 1-for-4 with two runs batted in.
For the Lobos, Murray and Stovall both finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI while Mader was also 3-for-4.
Lobo starter Cooper Eddy lasted seven and one-third innings, allowing eight runs on twelve hits while walking one and striking out five before leaving the game in the eighth. Reliever Kevin Letz (1-0) earned the win in relief, keeping the Utes scoreless in one and one-third innings while allowing just one hit.
With the win, the Lobos will stay alive in the tournament to face the loser of today's UNLV vs. San Diego State game at 7 p.m. tonight, while Utah was eliminated.
GAME 7 NOTES
New Mexico advances to the MWC Tournament semifinals Friday at 7 p.m. vs. the loser of Thursday's San Diego State vs. UNLV winner's bracket game.
New Mexico has only one other appearance in MWC Tournament semifinals: May 19, 2001 (L 12-5 to SDSU).
This is the fourth time in the last five years the No. 2 seed has made it to the MWC Tournament semifinals.
After falling behind 8-5 in the top of the eighth inning, New Mexico responded in the bottom half of the inning with back-to-back home runs by Daniel Stovall and AJ Spitaleri to pull within 8-7. Stovall is hitting .667 with five RBI in three MWC Tournament games.
Six of nine Utah batters recorded an RBI in today's game vs. New Mexico, led by Matt Ciaramella and Jay Brossman with two each. Ciaramella's eighth-inning RBI-single gave the Utes an 8-5 lead.
Freshman Jay Russell recorded his 10th RBI of the year and first of the game when he drove in Sean Murray for the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Russell was 0-for-3 in the game heading into his final at bat, but finished 1-for-4 after his RBI-single to right field.
The Lobos recorded five doubles today vs. Utah and lead the MWC Tournament with 15 total doubles in three contests, just two shy of the MWC Tournament record of 17 (UNLV, 2002).
New Mexico AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
YOUNG, Matt cf........... 4 0 1 0 1 0 5 0 1
HAYMORE, Garrick lf...... 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
MADER, Josh ss........... 4 2 3 0 0 0 4 2 0
SALAS, Joe dh............ 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
MURRAY, Sean rf.......... 4 3 3 3 0 0 3 0 0
STOVALL, Daniel 1b....... 4 2 3 3 1 0 3 2 0
SPITALERI, A.J. c........ 4 1 2 1 0 1 8 0 0
FOOTE, Matt 2b........... 4 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 3
RUSSELL, Jay 3b.......... 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0
EDDY, Cooper p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0
LETZ, Kevin p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 37 9 14 9 4 2 27 9 10
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Utah................ 040 000 130 - 8 13 0
New Mexico.......... 032 000 022 - 9 14 0
-------------------------------------------
Utah IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
WESTMORELAND, Clay.. 7.0 10 7 7 1 0 30 34
BUCK, Ben........... 1.2 4 2 2 3 2 7 11
New Mexico IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
EDDY, Cooper........ 7.1 12 8 8 1 5 33 37
LETZ, Kevin......... 1.2 1 0 0 1 3 6 7
Win - LETZ (1-0). Loss - BUCK (6-5). Save - None.
HBP - by EDDY (KHOURY); by WESTMORELAND (SPITALERI); by WESTMORELAND (MURRAY);
by EDDY (CIARAMELLA); by WESTMORELAND (MADER); by EDDY (KHOURY).
Umpires - HP: Jeff Jenkins 1B: Raymond Belfiore 2B: Kevin Daugherty 3B: Ken
Bayne Start: 11:04 AM Time: 2:50 Attendance:
Game notes:
ID-264386
2004 MWC Tournament Game Seven
New Mexico advances to play the UNLV/San Diego State loser,
Utah is eliminated
Game: MWC7
Play-by-Play
2004 Mountain West Baseball
New Mexico 9 (26-28-1), Utah 8 (22-36) - Play-by-Play
May 28, 2004 at Las Vegas, Nev. (Earl E. Wilson)
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Utah................ 040 000 130 - 8 13 0
New Mexico.......... 032 000 022 - 9 14 0
-------------------------------------------
Utah 1st - KHOURY flied out to rf. BROSSMAN flied out to cf. CIARAMELLA out
at first 1b to p. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
New Mexico 1st - YOUNG fouled out to c. HAYMORE grounded out to ss. MADER
grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Utah 2nd - CHEVALIER grounded out to 2b. PENA homered to right center, RBI.
WESTFALL singled through the left side. OLSON doubled to right center, RBI; WESTFALL
scored. WELSH singled to center field, RBI; OLSON scored. SCHLIEMAN struck out
swinging. KHOURY hit by pitch; WELSH advanced to second. BROSSMAN singled to left
center, RBI, advanced to second; KHOURY advanced to third; WELSH scored. CIARAMELLA
flied out to cf. 4 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
New Mexico 2nd - SALAS walked. MURRAY tripled down the lf line, RBI; SALAS
scored. STOVALL doubled to right center, RBI; MURRAY scored. SPITALERI singled up
the middle; STOVALL advanced to third. FOOTE reached on a fielder's choice, RBI;
SPITALERI out at second 3b to 2b; STOVALL scored. RUSSELL flied out to lf. YOUNG
flied out to lf. 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Utah 3rd - CHEVALIER out at first 1b to p. PENA flied out to rf. WESTFALL
struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
New Mexico 3rd - HAYMORE grounded out to 2b. MADER doubled to left center.
SALAS grounded out to 2b; MADER advanced to third. MURRAY doubled down the lf line,
RBI; MADER scored. STOVALL singled to right center, RBI; MURRAY scored. SPITALERI
hit by pitch; STOVALL advanced to second. FOOTE flied out to cf. 2 runs, 3 hits,
0 errors, 2 LOB.
Utah 4th - OLSON singled up the middle. WELSH struck out swinging. SCHLIEMAN
grounded into double play 2b to ss to 1b; OLSON out on the play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0
errors, 0 LOB.
New Mexico 4th - RUSSELL grounded out to 2b. YOUNG singled to right field.
HAYMORE popped up to ss. MADER singled to third base; YOUNG advanced to second.
SALAS flied out to rf. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Utah 5th - KHOURY flied out to cf. BROSSMAN flied out to cf. CIARAMELLA
doubled to left center. CHEVALIER struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
New Mexico 5th - MURRAY hit by pitch. STOVALL flied out to lf. SPITALERI
flied out to lf. FOOTE popped up to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Utah 6th - PENA flied out to cf. WESTFALL popped up to ss. OLSON grounded out
to p. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
New Mexico 6th - RUSSELL grounded out to 2b. YOUNG lined out to lf. HAYMORE
grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Utah 7th - WELSH singled through the left side. SCHLIEMAN reached on a
fielder's choice; WELSH out at second p to ss. KHOURY singled up the middle;
SCHLIEMAN advanced to third. BROSSMAN walked; KHOURY advanced to second. CIARAMELLA
hit by pitch, RBI; BROSSMAN advanced to second; KHOURY advanced to third; SCHLIEMAN
scored. CHEVALIER struck out swinging. PENA reached on a fielder's choice;
CIARAMELLA out at second ss to 2b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
New Mexico 7th - MADER hit by pitch. SALAS grounded into double play 3b to 2b
to 1b; MADER out on the play. MURRAY flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
Utah 8th - WESTFALL singled to third base. OLSON popped up to ss. WELSH
singled to left field; WESTFALL advanced to second. EASTMAN pinch hit for SCHLIEMAN.
EASTMAN singled through the left side; WELSH advanced to second; WESTFALL advanced
to third. KHOURY hit by pitch, RBI; EASTMAN advanced to second; WELSH advanced to
third; WESTFALL scored. LETZ to p for EDDY. BROSSMAN reached on a fielder's choice,
RBI; KHOURY advanced to second; EASTMAN out at third lf to 3b; WELSH scored.
CIARAMELLA singled to right field, RBI, advanced to second on the throw; BROSSMAN
advanced to third; KHOURY scored. CHEVALIER struck out, grounded out to c
unassisted. 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
New Mexico 8th - EASTMAN to c. STOVALL homered to left center, RBI. SPITALERI
homered to center field, RBI. BUCK to p for WESTMORELAND. FOOTE singled through the
left side. RUSSELL grounded out to p, SAC, bunt; FOOTE advanced to second. YOUNG
walked. HAYMORE grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b; YOUNG out on the play.
2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Utah 9th - PENA struck out looking. WESTFALL walked. OLSON struck out
swinging. WESTFALL stole second. WELSH flied out to rf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors,
1 LOB.
New Mexico 9th - MADER doubled to left center. SALAS struck out swinging.
MURRAY doubled to left center, RBI; MADER scored. STOVALL intentionally walked.
SPITALERI struck out looking. FOOTE walked; STOVALL advanced to second; MURRAY
advanced to third. RUSSELL singled through the right side, RBI; FOOTE advanced to
second; STOVALL advanced to third; MURRAY scored. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3
LOB.
Line score
New Mexico 9, Utah 8 (May 28, 2004 at Las Vegas, Nev.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Utah................ 040 000 130 - 8 13 0 (22-36)
New Mexico.......... 032 000 022 - 9 14 0 (26-28-1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Utah - WESTMORELAND; BUCK(8). New Mexico - EDDY; LETZ(8).
Win-LETZ(1-0) Loss-BUCK(6-5) T-2:50 A-0
HR UT - PENA (8).
HR NM - STOVALL (12); SPITALERI (5).
Game notes:
ID-264386
2004 MWC Tournament Game Seven
New Mexico advances to play the UNLV/San Diego State loser,
Utah is eliminated
Game: MWC7
