Air Force Academy
New Mexico
New Mexico takes two from the Falcons
3/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 1, 2003
The University of New Mexico needed only 12 innings to take two wins from the Air Force Academy at Lobo Field, Sat., March 1, in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Lobos and Falcons began the day at 12:30 p.m. with the two teams finishing off a game that was suspended Friday after 10 innings because of darkness. New Mexico won it in the 13th inning by a score of 9-8, then went on to take game two 8-7 in nine innings.
The teams started the day tied a 7-7 in the top of the 11th inning. In the 12th inning, the two teams traded runs to make the score 8-8 going into the 13th frame. The Falcons had runners on second and third, but designated hitter Derck Kasel grounded out to UNM's Dusty Young to end the inning. After a single by UNM's Chris Alexander in the bottom half, Air Force's Bowie Frost's throwing error allowed Young to score from second to end the game at 9-8.
James Vermilyea went 7.1 innings for the Lobos, all on Friday, but reliever Matt Bullen got the win (2-0) pitching the final 1.2 innings. Air Force starter Jesper Stubbendorff went seven strong innings for the Falcons, allowing two earned runs. Reliever Ken Hodgson took the loss. He pitched the final two and one-third innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits.
Kasel and Nelson Prouty led the Falcons with three hits each while Phifer, Petro and Frost each had two. Kasel hit his first home run of the season in that game and led the Falcons with two RBI.
In game two, Air Force led 5-2 after five innings, but New Mexico scored three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to take a 7-5 lead. With the score tied 7-7 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Lobos scored the game-winner.
The Lobos struck first when Young doubled then scored on a Sean Murray single to right field. But the Falcons would respond with five runs, and held a 5-2 lead going into the bottom half of the 6th inning. Joe Salas' solo home run and a Young RBI single sparked the Lobos into a three-run inning to tie the score. The two teams each scored two runs in the seventh to make the score 7-7. UNM's Sean Murray scored on a Josh Mader fly ball in the bottom of the eighth and it was enough to secure the victory.
Adrian Soto got the win for New Mexico in game two, as he allowed only two hits and no runs scored in 2.2 innings of work. Salas went 3-for-4 in the game, while Alexander went 1-for-3, with his lone hit a home run in the seventh inning. Young extended his hitting streak to 14-straight games and Murray extended his streak to 11 consecutive games with a hit.
Hodgson was saddled with the loss, his second of the day and the season. He pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief and gave up one earned runs on one hit and two walks. Kasel and Nick Liegl each had three hits in the game. Liegl, the Falcons' senior centerfielder, also scored two runs, drove in three and had a triple and a home run. He was a double short of hitting for the cycle. Liegl hit is his first home run last week against Memphis and then hit his second six days later against the Lobos.
Air Force is now 6-7 overall and 0-2 in Mountain West Conference games while the Lobos move to 9-6 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
The two teams meet again Sunday at Lobo Field. Game time is 1 p.m.
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