LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State baseball team hosted La Salle for a doubleheader on Saturday at Presley Askew Field. Following a loss in the series opener, the Aggies bounced back with a sweep of the doubleheader taking down the Explorers in the first game, 6-1, and claiming the second win, 7-3.
GAME ONE
For the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, NM State (13-3) started senior right-hander
Justin Dehn on the mound against La Salle (7-5) southpaw Jackson Ray. Dehn opened the game holding the opposition scoreless before the Crimson & White got on the board in the bottom of the first.
Logan Bottrell led off the frame with a double to left and then
Joey Ortiz laced a single through the right side to bring in the first run of the game.
Dehn continued to cruise retiring the side in back-to-back innings and then the Aggies added to their 1-0 lead in the third. A plunked batter loaded the bases with no outs for NM State, but then a lineout to second base resulted in a double play. This left runners on the corners with two outs and
Tristan Peterson knocked a single to center to score the man from third for a 2-0 Aggie lead.
Following a scoreless fourth inning for both sides, La Salle was able to get on the board in the top of the fifth. The inning opened with a single and a pair of walks to load the bases. The Explorers then saw an infield groundout bring in one run to cut the Aggies lead in half at 2-1.
The Crimson & White was able to expand this lead in the bottom half of the fifth. A base on balls loaded the bases with one out and
Braden Williams reached on a fielder's choice that brought home one run for a 3-1 lead.
Then in the sixth inning, the Aggies put up another run to add to their lead. NM State had two runners on with one out and
Tristen Carranza lofted a sacrifice fly to centerfield that brought home another runner for a 4-1 NM State advantage.
Each side was held quiet in the seventh and then the Crimson & White added a few insurance runs in the eighth. With one out, Carranza blasted a solo home run to left center. The next batter,
Caleb Henderson, then added one of his own with another solo shot to make it back-to-back homers that put NM State up 6-1.
La Salle looked to mount a comeback in the ninth and had a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs, but that was the closest the Explorers would get as the Aggie defense forced the final out to secure the 6-1 victory.
After coming in to toss 2.2 innings of relief with three strikeouts,
Wyatt Kelley (1-0) picked up his first win of the season. The Aggie offense combined for 14 base knocks, led by Bottrell who went 5-for-5 with two runs scored, Carranza who posted a 2-for-4 game with one home run and two runs batted in and Henderson went 2-for-3 with a homer and two runs scored.
GAME TWO
The second game of the doubleheader pitted Aggie junior right-hander Chris Jefferson against the Explorers' Mike Anthony. La Salle stuck first when an infield groundout scored a man from third to put NM State behind 1-0 after one.
In the bottom of the second, the Aggies then responded.
Tristen Carranza stayed hot following the first game with a leadoff home run to left that knotted the game up at one apiece. This was followed by a scoreless third where each team left the bases loaded to keep the game all tied up.
Then in the fourth, both squads got back on the board. The Explorers had runners on first and second with one out when a single to center scored one run that gave the opposition a 2-1 lead over the Aggies.
This was followed by a bottom half where NM State responded to regain the lead. A hit by pitch, followed by a double down the left field line left a pair of runners in scoring position with one out.
Jason Bush then stepped to the plate and roped a double to centerfield that scored both runners for a 3-2 Aggie lead.
La Salle erased this lead in the top of the fifth. With two outs and two men on, the Explorers saw a single to left score one run and the game was all tied up again at 3-3.
The tie ballgame did not last long, however, as Carranza's bat stayed hot in the bottom of the fifth. Gonzales had a one out base knock to get on and then the senior slugger stepped to the dish. Carranza blasted a ball to the opposite field that traveled over the wall in right field to put NM State ahead 5-3.
Jefferson tossed a one-two-three inning, including a pair of punch outs to hold La Salle scoreless before the Aggies added to their lead in the bottom half of the sixth. Bush reached base with a double to right field before stealing third. Standing 90 feet from home plate,
Joey Ortiz scored the runner with an RBI single to give NM State a 6-3 advantage.
Each side was held scoreless in the seventh and then freshman reliever
Justin Schubert came in to retire the side in the eighth and hold the Aggies lead. With the three-run lead, the Crimson & White added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Ortiz sent a single up the middle that brought home a runner from second to put NM State ahead 7-3.
This 7-3 score stood as the final to give NM State the doubleheader sweep of La Salle. Jefferson (3-1) picked up the victory on the mound after throwing 6.0 innings with five strikeouts. Schubert's scoreless final two innings gave the freshman his first career save as an Aggies.
The New Mexico State baseball team now looks to secure the series victory over La Salle in the series finale on Sunday, March 10, at 1:05 p.m. MT on Presley Askew Field.
