LAS CRUCES, N.M. –The New Mexico State baseball team closed out their weekends series against conference opponent Grand Canyon on Sunday afternoon. A quiet night for the Aggie bats saw the team get shutout at home for the first time in three years (3/29 vs. Sacramento State) in a 9-0 loss to Grand Canyon University.
How it happened
NM State (26-19, 11-4 WAC) sent usual Sunday starter
Jonathan Groff to the mound to square off against GCU (22-21, 16-2 WAC) righty Jack Schneider. In the top of the first inning, a tight strike zone forced Groff to walk in the first run of the game for the Lopes before escaping a bases loaded situation.
Each pitcher held the offenses quiet in the second inning, then in the third GCU opened the inning with a three-run rally before the Aggies could force and out which put the opponent up 4-0 heading to the fourth.
The visitors added another run to the board with a two-out single through the left side in the top of the fourth. Then in the sixth inning the Lopes put runners on the corners with no outs and a single through the left side scored one, followed by a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home another and put NM State down 7-0.
The seventh saw each team's bats go down one-two-three, but GCU extended their lead in the eighth with a lead-off home run before the Aggies went to the bullpen. NM State could not muster up any offense in the bottom half going down one-two-three.
Grand Canyon's Preston Pavlica led off the top of the ninth with a double down the left field line and was brought home with a single to right field just two batters later. The 9-0 advantage for the opposition proved to be the final at the end of the contest.
Groff (6-4) was charged with the loss for the Aggies and Schneider (4-0) earned the win. NM State recorded seven hits on the day, led by
LJ Hatch with a pair.
The New Mexico State baseball team now travels to Albuquerque, N.M. for the third installment of the Battle of I-25 rivalry in a match-up with the New Mexico Lobos on Tuesday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. MT.
