Utah Wins Elimination Game Over New Mexico, 9-8

Thursday, May 23

Provo, Utah

11:00 AM

University of Utah

33-25

New Mexico

22-35

New Mexico

University of Utah

Utah Wins Elimination Game Over New Mexico, 9-8

5/23/2002 12:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 23, 2002

Box Score

PROVO, Utah--The Utes defeated New Mexico in their elimination game on Thursday at Larry Miller Field. The win means Utah will play the loser of the UNLV vs. BYU game, being player later today, on Friday at 3:00 p.m.

The Lobos jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two in the first and one in the second, which came off a home run. Utah tied the game in the second with most of the damage coming with two outs. With one out Mike Westfall started the Utes' offensive attack with a single. After the next batter was retired, Donald Hawes ripped a two-out double into the gap in left center to score Westfall, 3-1. The Utes continued to do damage with two outs as freshman Brett Baldwin connected for a single up the middle to score Hawes and cut it to a one-run game, 3-2. Baldwin advanced to third when Matt Ciaramella hit a single to right, and then scored on a wild pitch to tie it at three all.

In the third, Brit Pannier smacked a double to left field with one out. The double is Pannier's 59th career and 25th of the season, which breaks the Ute career doubles and single-season doubles records. Pannier went on to score the go-ahead run when teammate Adam Castleton knocked a shot to right field, 4-3. Castleton was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double. New Mexico would tie the game in the top of the fourth at four apiece.

The bottom of the fourth proved to be interesting. Brett Baldwin grounded out to second base and what looked to be a routine out instead turned out to be Utah's first base runner of the inning. As Baldwin was running to first, the New Mexico pitcher Matt Bullen walked in front of him in the baseline and was given an error for interfering with the runners' pathway. With Baldwin on first, the next batter Ciaramella nailed his third hit of the game over the right field wall to give the Utes a 6-4 lead.

Nate Weese led off the fifth with a single off a perfect bunt down the third baseline. Weese then stole second and advanced to third on an infield single by Castleton. The next batter, Westfall, singled to left field to score Weese and put the Utes up three, 7-4. Utah added another run after Hawes knocked a shot to left to score Castleton from second, 8-4.

New Mexico put two runners on to lead off the sixth and then Dusty Young hit a line drive into the gap in right center to score the two and cut the margin to 8-6. The next Lobo, Troy Cairns, singled to deep short and then Chris Alexander hit a single to center to score Young from third, 8-7. The seventh run chased off Ute starter Jason Wylie and brought in reliever Brady Martinez.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Castleton reached base after being hit and then crossed the plate off a double by Westfall, 9-7. Martinez cruised through 2.1 innings, but gave up a home run to conference leader Chris Alexander in the top of the ninth, 9-8. But that was it for the Lobos as the Utes won the elimination game.

For Utah, Wylie earns the win after throwing 5.2 innings and allowing seven runs. Martinez, a freshman, gets the save after allowing just the home run in 3.1 innings of work. "Jason (Wylie) pitched pretty well and Brady (Martinez) came in and shut the door on New Mexico when we needed it," said head coach Tim Esmay.

"I felt I had command over my pitches today," said Martinez. "My adrenaline was up and I tried to keep it that way to keep me going."

Another key player for Utah was the freshman Ciaramella. The center fielder finished the day 3-of-5 with two RBI and one run scored. "The home run Matt (Ciaramella) hit in the fourth was huge because it put us up 6-4 and gave us the momentum," said Esmay.

Box score (NCAA)                            The Automated ScoreBook                        New Mexico vs University of Utah               May 23, 2002 at Provo, Utah (Larry H.Miller Field)
New Mexico 8 (22-35)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB------------------------------------------------------Young, M. dh.............  2  2  0  0   2  1  0  0   0Young, D. ss.............  5  1  4  3   0  0  2  4   0Stroud lf................  5  0  0  0   0  1  2  1   2Cairns 2b................  5  1  1  0   0  0  1  1   1Alexander, C 1b..........  5  1  3  3   0  2  8  0   0Mader 3b.................  3  0  2  0   1  0  2  3   2 Lovato ph...............  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0Salas rf.................  4  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   4Lizarraga cf.............  5  2  2  1   0  1  4  0   0Tajima c.................  3  1  0  0   0  1  5  1   1Bullen p.................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0 Gross p.................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0Totals................... 38  8 12  7   3  6 24 12  10
University of Utah 9 (33-25)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB------------------------------------------------------CIARAMELLA cf............  5  1  3  2   0  1  1  0   0SABA, D lf...............  4  0  0  0   0  1  2  0   1WEESE, N 1b..............  3  1  1  0   1  0  8  1   0PANNIER, B rf............  4  1  1  0   0  1  1  0   1CASTLETON, A 2b..........  3  2  2  1   0  0  4  3   0WESTFALL, M 3b...........  4  1  3  2   0  1  0  1   0BIESINGER, B dh..........  4  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   1HAWES, D c...............  4  1  2  2   0  0  6  1   0BALDWIN, B ss............  4  2  1  1   0  0  4  4   0WYLIE, J p...............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0 MARTINEZ, B p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0Totals................... 35  9 13  8   1  5 27 12   4
Score by Innings                    R  H  E-------------------------------------------New Mexico.......... 210 103 001 -  8 12  1University of Utah.. 031 220 10X -  9 13  2-------------------------------------------
E - Bullen; CASTLETON, A 2. DP - UNM 1. LOB - UNM 10; Utes 4. 2B - Young,D.; Lizarraga; CIARAMELLA; PANNIER, B; WESTFALL, M; HAWES, D. HR -Alexander, C(19); Lizarraga(2); CIARAMELLA(4). HBP - Salas; Tajima 2;CASTLETON, A. SH - Young, M.. SB - Mader; WEESE, N. CS - Tajima.
New Mexico             IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF-----------------------------------------------Bullen..............  4.1 11  8  6  1  4 23 24Gross...............  3.2  2  1  1  0  1 12 13
University of Utah     IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF-----------------------------------------------WYLIE, J............  5.2 11  7  7  3  5 26 32MARTINEZ, B.........  3.1  1  1  1  0  1 12 13
Win - WYLIE, J (7-7).  Loss - Bullen (2-8).  Save - MARTINEZ, B (1).WP - Bullen. HBP - by WYLIE, J (Tajima); by WYLIE, J (Tajima); by Gross(CASTLETON, A); by MARTINEZ, B (Salas).