TUCSON, Ariz. – The New Mexico State baseball team swept Benedictine University at Mesa in its Monday doubleheader at the Kino Sports Complex. The Aggies took the first game 8-6 while taking the second game 10-7 in a shortened seven inning game.
 
GAME 1
 
After a 1-2-3 inning from both pitchers to open up the game, the Aggies came out in the bottom half of the second where a ground out to second base by L.J. Hatch manufactured the first run for NM State.
 
In the third inning, the Redhawks brought four runs across the plate to build an early 4-1 lead after a five-hit inning. Austin Botello came up in the bottom half of the third and roped a two-RBI double to right center that scored Greg Popylisen and Joey Ortiz with two outs to bring the Aggies deficit to 4-3.
 
After retiring the Redhawks in order in the fourth, Aggie starter Matthew McHugh once again made quick work of Benedictine University at Mesa batters to hold them scoreless in the fifth, as well.
 
NM State then started their half of the fifth with back-to-back singles, followed by Dan Hetzel mashing a 1-1 pitch to the warning track to tack on a pair of runs and gave the Aggies a 5-4 lead with no outs.
 
The scoring was not done yet as Hetzel reached third on a sacrifice fly from Hatch and then crossed the plate for the Aggies' sixth run of the game after Tristen Carranza laced a ball in front of the left fielder to bring the run home.
 
McHugh returned for another inning of work in the sixth and once again put the Redhawks down in order, while Benedictine's new pitcher, Joey Covert, threw a one-two-three inning of his own to keep the game at 6-4 in favor of the Aggies entering the seventh.
 
BU closed in on the Aggies lead in the eighth, which began after reliever Keaton Graf loaded the base with a walk and then allowed a double to left center to give the Redhawks their fifth run. After a wild pitch moved the runner to third, Benedictine registered the game tying run when Chandler Crow grounded out to short. Ruger Rodriguez then came in to relieve Graf with two outs as he got the batter to pop out to short and end the inning.
 
Looking to answer, Tristen Carranza led off with a sharply hit ball to left field to get on base before he scored the go-ahead run on a liner to left center by Marcus Still. The liner also moved pinch runner Brian Kiser to third base as he then scored the eighth and final run of the game on an RBI double by Ortiz.
 
Leading 8-6, Ruger Rodriguez came out in the ninth and only allowed one base runner, after being hit by a pitch, before the senior closed out the game.
 
Rodriguez picked up his first win of the season while NM State saw five players register multiple hits in Ortiz, Botello, Hetzel, Carranza and Brent Sakurai each registered two.
 
GAME 2
 
The second game was a battle between the bullpens as both teams tossed a staff day. NM State starter Kyle Bradish had the bases loaded with two outs, but worked out of the jam with a punch out to start the game.
 
He continued to look for his command in the second inning, but once again found his way out of the situation as BU stranded two more runners.
 
Carranza came through for the Aggies with a two-out single and then scored when Brent Sakurai took a 1-1 pitch for a ride over the left field fence and gave NM State the 2-0 lead.
 
Chris Cucko was touched up in third inning after coming in to relieve Bradish, giving up three runs on five hits to the Redhawk batters. However, New Mexico State struck back in its half of the frame. Its first run came via a sac-fly from Kiser and then the second run crossed the dish on a wild pitch.
 
After Cucko put runners on first and second, Dalton Shalberg came in to pitch the Aggies with zero outs. A sacrifice bunt put both runners in scoring position before Christian Camacho laced a double down the left field line and scored both runners to give BU the 5-4 lead.
 
The Redhawks added another run in the top of the fourth when Andy Verke, Jr. drew a bases loaded walk before Marcel Renteria was able to get Josue Ruiz to ground out to short. LJ Hatch had an opportunity to get the third out before the walk, but a high hop on the grounder delayed him reaching the bag at second.
 
Carranza led things for NM State in the home-half of the fourth with a solo blast to deep center field and cut the Redhawks lead to 6-5. Ortiz then tied the contest up at 6-6 with a two-out single to center, scoring Sakurai – who advanced to the third after an errant throw from the BU catcher on the previous play. Botello's two-out walk chased Jose Arriola out of the game with Kiser due up with the bases loaded. Luckily for the Redhawks, Kiser's laser just happened to fall into the glove of Colton Corum to end the inning.
 
After giving up a double with two outs, Sakurai looked to have had a routine grounder come towards him before it took an odd bounce the other direction and gave Benedictine the 7-6 lead.
 
That lead would be short-lived as when Cooper Williams laced a tailing double down the left field line, which scored Sakurai and Carranza. Hatch tacked on another pair of runs in the sixth inning for NM State when he blasted a two-run shot to right center, making it 10-7 in favor of the Crimson & White.
 
Renteria then took care of business in the top-half of the seventh for this third win of the year, pitching 3.2 innings work and gave up just one run on five hits with eight strike outs and a walk.
 
New Mexico State now has a quick turnaround as it squares off against No. 9 Arizona on Tuesday, March 21, at 6 p.m. on the Pac-12+ Live Stream.