Pitching strategy goes off course as Fresno State baseball loses by 20 runs

The Fresno State baseball team’s nightmare in New Mexico continued Friday, suffering its worst loss ever in Albuquerque in a 24-4 blowout to begin a three-game Mountain West series.

Fresno State (14-11, 5-5) jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the top of the first.

But by the second inning, the first-place Lobos (17-9, 10-0) already owned a 10-3 lead.

And the beat down would continue as New Mexico amassed 22 hits and took advantage of 15 walks and two Bulldogs errors.

It was the largest margin of defeat in coach Mike Batesole’s 15 seasons and surpassed the previous worst beating logged just last year in Albuquerque – when Fresno State lost 25-6 to Nevada in eight innings via mercy rule in the Mountain West tournament.

Fresno State hadn’t suffered a 20-plus run loss since a 23-2 blowout to Arizona State in 1997.

All the while, the Bulldogs moved to 1-15 all-time against the Lobos in Albuquerque.

Batesole tried to get back Friday’s series opener using a collection of pitchers as he’s done successfully a few times this season.

The strategy blew up as starter Fred Schlichtholz was roughed up for 10 runs (nine earned) off seven hits and four walks.

Fresno State went through four more pitchers, who combined to give up 17 hits and 11 walks for 14 runs the rest of the way.

The series continues at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

This story was originally published March 31, 2017 at 9:55 PM with the headline "Pitching strategy goes off course as Fresno State baseball loses by 20 runs."