PHOENIX – The New Mexico State baseball team traveled to Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Tuesday night to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils. A tough game for the Aggies saw them use nine pitchers in a losing effort as they fell to ASU, 12-5.
 
How it happened
As the game opened up, NM State looked to capitalize on a wild pitcher early, as the first two batters of the game were walked. Unfortunately, some aggressive base running by the Aggies got Marcus Still tagged out in a pickle and the next two Aggie batters were retired to end the opening half inning at an even, 0-0.
 
After taking down the Sun Devils one-two-three, the Aggies came out in the second and again looked to get on the board as the ASU starter was having control problems. Joey Ortiz singled to left field to get things started as Brent Sakurai and Tristen Carranza then walked to load the bases. Still not able to find the zone, the Sun Devils walked in the first run of the game before going to their bullpen to get out of the inning with NM State up, 1-0.
 
The third inning was quiet for each team as neither could add to the scoreboard. Then after the Aggies went three-up and three-down, the tides began to shift in favor of the opponent.
 
In the bottom of the fourth with two men on and one out, NM State brought Andy Frakes to the mound in relief. The Sun Devils then singled up the middle to score two runs. That base knock was followed by a double down the right field line to bring home another two runners as the Aggies ended the fourth, down 4-1.
 
Another quiet inning for the New Mexico State bats in the fifth held them scoreless. Then, Arizona State again forced the Aggies to go to the pen as the opponent put up two more runs to lead 6-1 heading to the sixth.
 
NM State was able to get some runs across the plate in the next inning. With men on first and second and only one out, ASU brought in reliever Reagan Todd. Tristen Carranza, the first batter Todd faced, hit a bomb to left center field which scored two for the Aggies as they only trailed 6-3 heading to the bottom half of the sixth.
 
While the Aggie offense got on the board, the opponents did as well. Over the next two innings the Aggies brought in three pitchers as the Sun Devils were able to put four more runs on the board and NM State trailed 10-3 heading into the eighth.
 
The Aggies again got into a little rhythm as a stand-up double from Brent Sakurai moved Joey Ortiz to third and Cooper Williams then came in to pinch hit for Tristen Carranza. Williams hit a one-out single which brought home both runners and brought the Aggies closer as they were down 10-5.
 
After ASU put two more runs on the scoresheet, NM State looked for a rally in the ninth to even things up. The Aggies put two men on in the inning but could not keep the momentum rolling as they could not get them home and eventually dropped the contest, 12-5.
 
Aggie pitcher Steven Butts was charged with the loss as he moves to 0-2 on the year. The loss puts NM State at 6-4 on the year.
 
The team will now return home as they host Yale in a four-game series this weekend, beginning with a Friday night showdown at 6 p.m. MT at Presley Askew Field.