Great pitching and strong hitting in the third of a three-game series helped the Lobo baseball team sweep the Binghamton Bulldogs at Santa Ana Star Field, as the Lobos (3-0) took home the victory 11-4 on Sunday afternoon.
Luis Gonzalez – who also plays outfield – got the start on the mound for the Lobos. He struck out four, and only allowed four hits and one run in five innings of pitching.
But the hitters provided for the Lobos too. As a team, the Lobos notched 15 hits, while holding Binghamton (0-3) to 12, though the Lobos were able to score more often.
Third baseman Carl Stajduhar had a star performance, going 4-for-5 at the plate, while driving in three runs for the Lobos. First baseman Jack Zoellner had a productive day at the plate for the Lobos too, going 2-for-3 from the plate and driving in two runs.
But nothing was more sweet than the two homers the Lobos produced. Both Danny Collier and Robby Campillo cleared the field once.
Binghamton, in the top of the first inning, threatened with a runner on first and second base, but that is all they would do in their time batting. After Luis Gonzalez hit a pop-up to first, Lobo Andre Gregory singled to left field, though that’s the furthest the Lobos would get in the inning as Binghamton would snatch a double play on the ensuing play.
The Lobos attacked in the bottom of the second inning, with Stajduhar leading off and nailing a single to left field. Quickly after, Zoellner reached base on a walk with no outs. Jared Mang moved the runners on to second and third base on a groundout to the Binghamton pitcher. Andre Vigil, though, would eventually score Stajduhar on a groundout to second – giving him an RBI and putting the Lobos up 1-0.
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Freshman Beau Capanna led off the bottom of the third for the Lobos, hitting a single to left field, his first collegiate career hit. Capanna stole second base while Gonzalez was at bat. Gonzalez then flied out to center field and Capanna tagged up and reached third base.
Gregory singled to right field and eventually reached second on an error by the outfielder, driving in Capanna to put the Lobos up 2-0. But Danny Collier nailed a homer to right field, which drove in Gregory and put the Lobos up 4-0.
The Lobos didn’t stop in the third, though, and scored four more runs to go up 8-0 before Binghamton could stop the bleeding.
At the top of the sixth inning, Gonzalez allowed a double from Binghamton in the first at-bat, which led to a pitching change from the Lobos. Freshman reliever Justin Slaten came in for Gonzalez and quickly allowed a single to the right side that drove in the Binghamton runner from second base. But Slaten quickly recovered and struck out the next batter, and closed out the inning not allowing another run. The Lobos still held onto an 8-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
In the bottom of the seventh, Stajduhar was able to single to the right side. Shortly after, Zoellner doubled to left center and drove Stajduhar in to put the Lobos up 9-1. After a Binghamton pitching change, Mang homered to right center, driving in the runner on second to go up 11-1. The Lobos ended the seventh inning by scoring three runs.
Binghamton hit their stride in the top of the eighth inning, driving in three runs on four hits. But after three Lobo pitching changes in the inning, Drew Gillespie closed out the inning with a strikeout and groundout.
Neither team scored the rest of the game, and the Lobos took the win on Sunday afternoon, 11-4.
Up next for the Lobos is a three-game series at Dallas Baptist on Friday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, Feb. 26.
Matthew Narvaiz is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers women’s basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz.
