ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Interstat) — In a wild Sunday afternoon Mountain West Conference baseball game that stretched into the evening, the New Mexico Lobos erased a seven-run deficit with a nine-run outburst over the middle innings to defeat the Nevada Wolf Pack 9-7 on April 19, 2026, at Santa Ana Star Field.

The victory allowed the Lobos (23-15-1) to salvage the final game of a three-game series after dropping the first two to Nevada (19-15). It also defied the pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 6-5 Nevada win, though its ELO system gave New Mexico a slight 51.7% probability.

The game’s narrative was one of starkly contrasting halves. Nevada ambushed New Mexico starter Alvarez immediately, sending 10 batters to the plate in a relentless top of the first inning. Quiban led off with a double, and Mikey Cruz, Nik Miller and Yamaguchi each delivered RBI hits. The Wolf Pack capitalized on two wild pitches, one of which scored a run, to stake themselves to a commanding 7-0 lead before New Mexico recorded an out.

The Lobos began their methodical climb back in the second. Luke Mansy launched a solo home run, his fifth of the season, to get New Mexico on the board. Diaz later added an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 7-2. Lenny Ashby led off the third inning with a solo homer to right field, making it 7-3.

The most important part of the game, however, was the bottom of the fourth inning, where the Lobos transformed the contest with a seven-run, bat-around rally that saw 13 men come to the plate. Garrett Rede singled and scored on Herd’s RBI triple. Walker followed with a ground-rule double to score Herd, chasing Nevada starter Andres Castro. After a pitching change, Waslefsky singled home Walker. Following a walk and a pitching change that brought in Luke Schat, Mansy lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 7-7. With the bases reloaded, Rede came through again, lashing a two-run single up the middle to give New Mexico its first lead at 9-7.

The comeback was stabilized by the relief work of Cooper Corkrean, named the top star for New Mexico. Entering in the third inning after Nevada’s explosive start, Corkrean delivered five critical innings, allowing just two hits and two earned runs while striking out three. His performance provided essential length after the short start and quieted the Nevada offense, a welcome rebound after allowing three earned runs in 1.1 innings in his previous outing on April 12.

Nevada’s bullpen, after the fourth-inning collapse, was superb in keeping the game close. Following Schat’s 1.1 hitless innings, Nik Miller and Andres Castro combined for three perfect innings of relief. But the Wolf Pack offense, which finished with 11 hits, could not solve the back end of the New Mexico bullpen. Luke Wiseman and Talor Grubbs pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively, with Grubbs closing the door in the ninth for the win.

Mikey Cruz was a bright spot for Nevada, going 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and two RBIs. Garrett Rede led New Mexico’s 10-hit attack, also going 3 for 4 with two RBIs, both coming on his decisive fourth-inning single.

The Lobos next travel to face Washington State for a three-game series beginning April 24. Nevada returns home to host Saint Mary’s on April 21 before a conference series against UNLV.