(Photo: Kimmy Davis/WCSN)
Arizona State (30-18) lost yet another midweek game, this time in Albuquerque at the hands of the New Mexico Lobos (28-23) by the score of 9-6.
Following a tough series loss to the UCLA Bruins, the Sun Devils find themselves on the outside looking in for hosting regionals during the NCAA tournament.
Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, the game wasn’t their only loss. In the fifth inning, ASU reliever Eder Erives was hit by a line drive and was taken out of the game. Word came after the game Erives had facial and nasal fractures while avoiding eye damage and he will see specialists upon returning home Wednesday.
ASU continued the trend of scoring in the first inning with a Colby Woodmansee groundout that scored Johnny Sewald.
The Sun Devils’ lead was short lived, as the Lobos got to work on ASU pitcher Ryan Hingst. UNM tied things up with Sam Haggerty scoring on a wild pitch. Jack Zoellner extended the lead with a two-run single that put the Lobos up 3-1 after the first.
In the second, Haggerty picked up an RBI off a single to left that put UNM up 4-1.
After a 47-minute lightning delay, the Lobos tacked on another run with an Aaron Siple RBI single, giving them a 5-1 lead.
Johnny Sewald clawed into the UNM lead with a single to left that scored Trever Allen.
The bottom of the fifth came to an abrupt halt when a Scottie Graham line drive drilled Eder Erives in the head.
With Erives out, Eric Melbostad took over and subsequently gave up an RBI bunt single and a 6-2 UNM lead in the process.
ASU closed the gap in the seventh with an Andrew Snow RBI groundout, cutting the Lobos’ lead to 6-3 in the seventh.
But then the Lobos squashed the comeback effort, starting with an RBI single from Siple in the seventh. UNM built its lead higher with a Reece Weber RBI single. Weber would later score the Lobos ninth run on a wild pitch.
Although, ASU put up three runs in the ninth, it was a mute point, as ASU lost 9-6, their third loss in the last four games.
The Sun Devils return to Pac-12 play when hey host Washington State for a three game series. First pitch is at 7 p.m. at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Pac-12 Networks.
