LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State baseball team opened a four-game weekend series with Maine on Friday night at Presley Askew Field. Trailing by three in the seventh, the Aggies crushed a pair of home runs to take 6-5 lead, which stood as the final as the Crimson & White took the series opener over the Black Bears.
NM State (10-8) ace
Kyle Bradish took the mound against Zach Winn of Maine (4-14) on Friday night. Each pitcher held the game scoreless through the first two innings before each team jumped on the board in the third.
The Black Bears struck first in the top half when the bases were loaded with one out. A grounder to the shortstop saw a 6-3 putout that brought home one run to put the Aggies down 1-0 heading to the bottom of the third.
NM State was able to answer in short order in the next half inning on a bizarre end to the frame. With runners on first and third and two outs,
Mason Fishback knocked a slow roller to the shortstop which brought a runner home. Fishback reached first on a fielder's choice but an errant throw ricocheted off the opposing dugout fence and the runner was caught in no man's land and a tag at first ended the inning with the game tied 1-1.
The board only stayed empty for one more inning with each side adding to their totals in the fifth. With two outs and a pair of runners on base, Maine took a commanding 4-1 lead with one swing of the bat when a homer to left field put the Aggies down three.
This three run lead did not last long, however, as NM State answered in the bottom half of the fifth. The Aggies had men on first and second with one out when Fishback laced a single up the middle to plate one run. The next batter,
Tristen Carranza, then added an RBI single through the left side to put the Aggies deficit at just 4-3 through five.
Maine proceeded to lead off the sixth inning with a double to left center field and an infield groundout moved the runner 90 feet from home. The Black Bears next at-bat saw a single through the middle score another run and put the Aggies behind 5-3.
As was seen all game, NM State was able to battle back against adversity and erase the deficit in the bottom of the seventh. Keeping their composure at the plate, the Aggies had a man on first with one out. Carranza then stepped to the plate and cranked a two-run bomb over the center field wall to tie the game up at five apiece. The team was not done there either as
Caleb Henderson crushed a two-out solo homer before the frame ended giving the Crimson & White a 6-5 lead.
Brock Whittlesey headed to the bump in the final two innings and made easy work of the Black Bears allowing just two hits and striking out the side in the ninth to secure the 6-5 victory for NM State.
Chance Hroch earned his second win of the season and Whittlesey was credited with the save. Carranza led the Aggies at the dish going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one home run.
New Mexico State and Maine continue the weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 17, beginning at 12 p.m. MT at Presley Askew Field. Adam Young is on the call and can be heard on 91.5 FM KRUX.
