EDINBURG, Texas – The New Mexico State baseball team fell to UT Rio Grande Valley 9-3 in the first game of the series on Friday night.
 
UTRGV broke the game open in the first inning by scoring five runs. The first run came in on an E5. The second run scored on a bases loaded walk. The final three runs scored on a double to the right field corner that saw the batter gunned down trying to stretch it out into a triple.
 
The Vaqueros scored another run in the second. The run scored on base hit bunt.
 
The Aggies finally got on the board in the top of the fifth. Greg Popylisen reached first on a fielding error by the second baseman, and then stole second during the next at-bat. Jason Bush walked on a full count. Brent Sakurai drove in Popylisen with a single up the middle.
 
UTRGV added two more runs in the home half of the inning. Both runs came in on a double to right center.
 
The Vaqueros some the ninth run in the sixth inning off of a single to center.
 
The Aggies added a run in the eighth inning off of a Dan Hetzel double to the right center wall, scoring Daniel Johnson.
 
NM State added a final run in the ninth with Brent Sakurai grounding out to second, scoring Chad Reibenspies from third.
 
The two teams will face off tomorrow at 5 p.m.