Seeing-eye Single Aids Lobos

ALBUQUERQUE -- Daniel Stovall's walk-off seeing-eye single up the middle Friday lifted New Mexico to a 4-3 victory over BYU at Isotopes Park.

The Lobo's chipped away at a 3-0 deficit for the second night in a row, but this time improved their record to 22-24 overall and 8-9 in the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars five-game winning streak ends as their record is now 27-17 and 11-6.

"The game wasn't lost in the ninth, it was lost when we had opportunities to score," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "We've got to do a better job of putting the ball in play. We didn't execute, we took too many pitches. We've got to do a better job of advancing runners."

BYU stranded 10 runners, as did the Lobos, but the Cougars left a runner on second in the second, third and sixth innings as well as the bases loaded in the ninth.

Kasey Ko hit a double down the left field corner, but was stranded on second in the second.

BYU did deliver with bases loaded in the third, Steve Parker hit a two-out, two-run single to centerfield to put BYU on the board with a 2-0 advantage.

Drew McDonald hit a lead-off double in the third for the Lobos' first hit of the game. He advanced to third on a sac-bunt. Jordan Muir got the next batter to pop up, then walked Matt Foote before recording his first strikeout of the game to end the inning.

Muir worked out of another jam after surrendering consecutive two-out singles in the fourth.

Parker delivered again with a runner on third, this time with a two-out single to left, putting BYU up 3-0 in the fifth.

Ko hit a lead-off double in the sixth, followed by consecutive Cougar strikeouts before LaFramboise was relieved on the mound and the Lobos got out of the inning unscathed.

UNM scored its first run of the game with a two-out single by Ian Hollick, which brought in Jordan Pachedo. However, Hibbitts was thrown out on the play between second and third on a 7-6-4-5 putout.

Fanning pick up BYU's fourth stolen base of the game, his second of the contest, but was stranded at second in the seventh. The seventh was when Muir gave up three straight singles, the last of which was a bunt he threw late to third and was removed from the game in favor of Brad Kidd.

The Lobos scored when Foote had a sharp hit down the thirdbase line which was fielded by Parker, who was on the bag for out number one, but couldn't complete a double play as McDonald crossed home. Kidd recovered by striking out Pacheco swinging to end the inning with Lobos on second and third, with the score now 3-2.

For the first time since the first, the Cougars went down in order in the eighth as Leon Johnson was picked off first base to end that inning.

J.D. Stambaugh took the mound in the eighth after Kidd walked the lead-off batter. Parker saved the Cougars with a high stab on the left side of third to turn a 5-4-3 doubleplay. Stambaugh gave up a single, then fielded a comebacker with an underhand toss to first to end the inning.

In its final opportunity to score in the ninth, BYU loaded the bases with two outs when Apana Nakayama drew his third walk of the game. However, this time Parker couldn't add to his three RBI and struck out looking.

Matt Jensen relieved Stambaugh in the ninth and got out number two and had a 1-2 count on the next batter before UNM scored the tying run through it's pinch runner and pinch hitter.

The teams play a rubber match on Saturday at 1 p.m.

BYU at NEW MEXICO
May 04, 2007 at Albuquerque, N.M. (Isotopes Park)
BYU 3 (27-17,11-6)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
WALTON, Kent 2b..........  5  1  2  0   0  1  3  1   0
FANNING, Collin rf.......  5  1  3  0   0  1  6  0   0
NAKAYAMA, Apana dh.......  2  0  0  0   3  1  0  0   0
PARKER, Steve 3b.........  5  0  2  3   0  1  1  6   5
KO, Kasey 1b.............  4  0  2  0   0  0 10  0   2
WELLS, Stephen cf........  4  0  1  0   0  2  1  0   0
JOHNSON, Leon lf.........  4  0  0  0   0  1  0  1   1
MUSSO, J.T. c............  3  0  0  0   1  1  3  0   1
VARGAS, Dan ss...........  3  1  0  0   1  2  2  2   1
MUIR, Jordan p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 KIDD, Brad p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 STAMBAUGH, J.D. p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 JENSEN, Matt p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 35  3 10  3   5 10 26 12  10
NEW MEXICO 4 (22-24,8-9)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
FOOTE cf.................  4  0  0  1   1  0  1  0   0
WILLETT lf...............  4  0  0  0   0  1  2  0   2
 RUSSELL ph..............  1  1  1  1   0  0  0  0   0
PACHECO 2b...............  3  1  0  0   2  1  2  4   2
STOVALL 1b...............  4  0  1  1   1  0  9  0   0
HIBBITTS dh..............  4  0  2  0   0  0  0  0   0
HOLLICK 3b...............  4  0  3  1   0  0  1  2   0
MCDONALD c...............  4  1  2  0   0  0 10  1   3
PILKINGTON rf............  2  0  1  0   0  1  0  0   0
 COURCHA ph..............  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
GRACEY ss................  2  0  0  0   1  0  2  3   0
 FANNING pr..............  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
LAFROMBOISE p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 HEWETT p................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 33  4 10  4   5  3 27 12  10
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
BYU................. 002 010 000 -  3 10  0
NEW MEXICO.......... 000 001 102 -  4 10  0
-------------------------------------------
Note: 2 outs, 2 runners LOB when the game ended.
DP - BYU 1. LOB - BYU 10; LOBOS 10. 2B - KO 2(15); MCDONALD(9). SH -
PILKINGTON(2); GRACEY(10). SB - WALTON(10); FANNING 2(21); MUSSO(4). CS -
PARKER(3).
BYU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
MUIR, Jordan........  6.0  7  2  2  2  2 23 27
KIDD, Brad..........  1.0  0  0  0  1  1  3  4
STAMBAUGH, J.D......  1.1  1  1  1  1  0  4  5
JENSEN, Matt........  0.1  2  1  1  1  0  3  4
NEW MEXICO             IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
LAFROMBOISE.........  5.2  6  3  3  3  6 22 25
HEWETT..............  3.1  4  0  0  2  4 13 15
Win - HEWETT (1-2).  Loss - JENSEN (4-4).  Save - None.
Umpires - HP: Gus Rodriguez  1B: Ryan West  3B: Jason Rogers
Start: 6:04 pm   Time: 3:10   Attendance: 400
Game notes:
UNM assistant coach Ken Jacome ejected middle of the third
MUIR faced 3 batters in the 7th.
KIDD faced 1 batter in the 8th.
BYU starters: 9/2b WALTON; 17/rf FANNING; 24/dh NAKAYAMA; 5/3b PARKER; 22/1b KO;
1/cf WELLS; 14/lf JOHNSON, L.; 10/c MUSSO; 13/ss VARGAS; 12/p MUIR;
NEW MEXICO starters: 12/cf FOOTE; 18/lf WILLETT; 1/2b PACHECO; 34/1b STOVALL; 15/dh
HIBBITTS; 10/3b HOLLICK; 19/c MCDONALD; 21/rf PILKINGTON; 7/ss GRACEY; 6/p
LAFROMBOISE;
BYU 1st - WALTON grounded out to 2b. FANNING grounded out to 2b. NAKAYAMA
struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 1st - FOOTE flied out to rf. WILLETT flied out to rf. PACHECO
grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 2nd - PARKER grounded out to ss. KO doubled to left field. WELLS flied
out to cf. JOHNSON, L. grounded out to p. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 2nd - STOVALL flied out to rf. HIBBITTS grounded out to 3b, bunt.
HOLLICK fouled out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 3rd - MUSSO grounded out to 3b. VARGAS walked. WALTON singled to right
center; VARGAS advanced to third. FANNING struck out looking. WALTON stole second.
NAKAYAMA walked. PARKER singled to center field, 2 RBI; NAKAYAMA advanced to second;
WALTON scored; VARGAS scored. KO reached on a fielder's choice; PARKER out at second
ss to 2b. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 3rd - MCDONALD doubled to left field. PILKINGTON out at first p to
2b, SAC, bunt; MCDONALD advanced to third. GRACEY popped up to 2b. FOOTE walked.
WILLETT struck out looking. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
BYU 4th - WELLS struck out swinging. JOHNSON, L. lined out to ss. MUSSO
walked. MUSSO stole second. VARGAS struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors,
1 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 4th - PACHECO lined out to ss. STOVALL grounded out to ss.
HIBBITTS singled to right field. HOLLICK singled to left field; HIBBITTS advanced to
second. MCDONALD flied out to rf. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
BYU 5th - WALTON lined out to 3b. FANNING singled to right center. FANNING
stole second. NAKAYAMA grounded out to 2b; FANNING advanced to third. PARKER singled
to left field, RBI; FANNING scored. PARKER out at second c to 2b, caught stealing.
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 5th - PILKINGTON struck out swinging. GRACEY grounded out to ss.
FOOTE flied out to rf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 6th - KO doubled to left field. WELLS struck out looking. JOHNSON, L.
struck out swinging. HEWETT to p for LAFROMBOISE. MUSSO grounded out to 3b. 0
runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 6th - WILLETT fouled out to 1b. PACHECO walked. STOVALL flied out
to rf. HIBBITTS singled to center field; PACHECO advanced to second. HOLLICK singled
to left field, RBI; HIBBITTS advanced to second, out at second lf to 3b to ss;
PACHECO scored. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 7th - VARGAS struck out swinging. WALTON struck out looking. FANNING
singled to pitcher. FANNING stole second. NAKAYAMA walked. PARKER flied out to lf.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 7th - MCDONALD singled to right field. PILKINGTON singled to left
field; MCDONALD advanced to second. GRACEY reached on a fielder's choice, SAC, bunt;
PILKINGTON advanced to second; MCDONALD advanced to third. KIDD to p for MUIR. FOOTE
reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; GRACEY advanced to second; PILKINGTON out at
third 1b unassisted; MCDONALD scored. WILLETT grounded out to 3b; FOOTE advanced to
second; GRACEY advanced to third. PACHECO struck out swinging. 1 run, 2 hits, 0
errors, 2 LOB.
BYU 8th - KO grounded out to ss. WELLS singled up the middle. JOHNSON, L.
reached on a fielder's choice; WELLS out at second 2b to ss. JOHNSON, L. out at
first p to 1b, picked off. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 8th - STOVALL walked. STAMBAUGH to p for KIDD. HIBBITTS grounded
into double play 3b to 2b to 1b; STOVALL out on the play. HOLLICK singled through
the right side. MCDONALD grounded out to p. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 9th - MUSSO struck out looking. VARGAS flied out to lf. WALTON singled up
the middle. FANNING singled, bunt; WALTON advanced to second. NAKAYAMA walked;
FANNING advanced to second; WALTON advanced to third. PARKER struck out looking.
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 9th - COURCHA pinch hit for PILKINGTON. COURCHA flied out to cf.
GRACEY walked. FANNING pinch ran for GRACEY. JENSEN to p for STAMBAUGH. FOOTE
grounded out to 3b; FANNING advanced to second. RUSSELL pinch hit for WILLETT.
RUSSELL singled to center field, RBI; FANNING scored. PACHECO walked; RUSSELL
advanced to second. STOVALL singled up the middle, RBI; PACHECO advanced to third;
RUSSELL scored. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.