TUCSON, Ariz. – Timely hitting just wasn't in the cards for New Mexico State as it stranded nine runners and went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position on Tuesday evening as it fell to No. 9 Arizona 6-3 at Hi Corbett Field.
 
How It Happened
Arizona drew first blood in the evening match-up, pushing two across the dish in the bottom half of the second.
 
Sakurai started things off for NM State with a lead-off double that landed between the left and center fielder and advanced to third when Jason Bush laid down the sac-bunt. However, a screaming line out to third and strike out left Sakurai stranded at third.
 
UA extended its lead to 4-0 in the next frame, thanks to a bases clearing double from Cory Voss.
 
With two outs, LJ Hatch roped a triple into center for the Aggies and then had runners on the corners when Tristen Carranza was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat. However, the rally would end there for NM State when Sakurai hit a sharp grounder to short.
 
Marcus Still cut the Arizona lead to 4-2 in the top of the fifth when he blasted the first pitch he saw over the left field wall after Bush reached on base on an error by the Wildcat's third baseman. Johnathan Groff, NM State's starter came out and retired the side for the second-straight inning to keep the Aggies within striking distance.
 
Andy Frakes came in relief of Groff in the sixth and surrendered a pair of runs after giving up a lead-off single and walk to the third batter he faced. Those two came around to score when Kyle Lewis pulled a 0-2 pitch down the left field line.
 
After Marcus Still grounded out to lead off the seventh, Joey Ortiz reached on a throwing error by the second baseman then moved to third when Austin Botello smoked a single to first. UA had two pitches changes that sandwiched Dan Hetzel's walk to load the bases before Mason Fishback drew the bases loaded walk to bring NM State within 6-3 of the Wildcats.
 
Despite using four different pitchers in the bottom of the seventh frame, NM State was able to come out of that inning unscathed thanks to a rundown at third and a punch out from Alex Reyes.
 
After a scoreless eighth inning for both sides, the Aggies came out looking to rally back but the opponent cancelled those possibilities putting the NM State batters down in order.
 
Hetzel and Hatch led the Aggies with a pair of hits each on the night.
 
The loss moves the Aggies to 13-9 on the year as they head back home. Once returning, NM State won't spend much time back in Las Cruces as it heads to Santa Barbara, Calif., for a three-game series against UCSB starting Friday, March 24, at 4 p.m.