PROVO, Utah – The New Mexico State baseball team traveled to Utah to take on the BYU Cougars on Tuesday night. Despite going down early, the Aggie bats came to life in the middle of the game as the team defeated BYU, 8-6.
 
How it happened
Matthew McHugh took the mound to start for the Aggies as he threw his longest game of the season. After the Aggies were held scoreless in the top half of the first inning, McHugh came out and surrendered one hit but also kept the Cougars off the board in the first.
 
The second inning showed promise for the NM State offense as the team got men on first and third with two outs, but left the men stranded. In the bottom half of this inning, BYU scored the first run of the game on a controversial call.
 
With men on first and second a pitch looked to ricochet past catcher Mason Fishback all the way to the backstop. Fishback let the ball go, but the Cougars baserunner came home from second. Both Fishback and McHugh argued the pitch had hit the batters foot and should only advance each player one base. Unfortunately the umpires ruled the ball a wild pitch and scored the run, although the replay said otherwise.
 
After a quiet third inning from both squads, the opponent put one more run on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out single down the right field line. McHugh then loaded the bases but was able to settle down and end the inning with the team only trailing 2-0.
 
Then, in the fifth and sixth innings, the NM State bats came to life. After loading the bases with two outs, Brent Sakurai then walked in the team's first run of the game. Following Sakurai, Tristen Carranza then knocked a base-hit up the middle which scored two runs and gave the Aggies a 3-2 lead they carried into the sixth.
 
The top of the sixth saw the Aggies start a two-out rally. Dan Hetzel started as he drove in the first run of the game, followed by Mason Fishback doubling to left field to bring home another before BYU went to the bullpen. The call did not slow down the Aggies as the next batter; L.J. Hatch hit a ball all the way to the warning track which scored two as Hatch legged out a triple. Brent Sakurai then added a triple of his own, bringing home the Aggies fifth run of the inning as the team led 8-2 going into the seventh.

 
In the bottom of the seventh, NM State went through three pitchers as the bases were loaded with no outs.  A single, followed by a dribbler to second base brought home two runs for BYU to cut into the Aggies lead. After a walk to load the bases once more, NM State brought in their fourth pitcher of the inning with Chris Kucko. The reliever only allowed one hit, a double to right that scored two, but the Aggies lead became smaller as they now led 8-6.
 
A scoreless eighth inning for both teams sent the Aggies into the ninth holding a slim two-run lead. Looking to add to their score, NM State loaded the bases with only one out. Unfortunately the Cougars reliever retired the next two batters and the Aggies headed to the bottom of the ninth holding the same lead, 8-6.
 
NM State went to the pen one more time bringing in closer Ruger Rodriguez to seal the deal. Rodriguez was able to come in and make quick work of BYU as the opponent went three-up and three-down, as the Aggies secured the 8-6 victory.
 
After the game, starter Matthew McHugh (2-1) pitched his longest outing of the season (6.0 IP) and picked up the win. Rodriguez earned the save for his fourth of the season. The Aggie offense saw six batters record multiple hits, led by Marcus Still and Joey Ortiz who each had three.
 
This win for New Mexico State moves the team to 11-8 on the year. The Aggies will now take a week off before taking on last year's College Baseball World Series runner-up Arizona Wildcats on Tuesday, March 14, at 6 p.m. MT in Tucson, Ariz.