LAS CRUCES, N.M. - There was no shortage of offense for the NM State baseball team (4-6), as they exploded for 33 runs in 14-3 and 19-2 wins over Dixie State (0-10) Saturday afternoon at the Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces, N.M.
Game One
After each team put up a run in the first inning, a three-run home run from
Ethan Mann in the second inning blew the game open en route to a 14-3 victory for the Aggies. Mann's home run made it 6-1 through two innings, as the Aggies would add on two more runs on a
Brandon Dieter double and a wild pitch to extend its lead to 8-1. The Trailblazers added two runs of its own in the top of the fifth inning, but the Aggies responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Cal Villareal ended the game with two-RBI double forcing a run-rule in the sixth inning.
Chris Jefferson picked up his second win of the year on the mound, as he gave up three runs on six hits while striking out eight batters in five innings of work. Four Aggies had multiple hits, as Villareal led the way with three hits and two RBIs.
Game Two
Dieter's grand slam and Mann's two run shot to right-center in the second inning gave the Aggies a commanding 8-0 lead, and they never looked back in a 19-2 win over the Trailblazers. The Aggies' 19 runs is a season-high and is the most since Feb. 29, 2020, when the Aggies put up 19 runs against Purdue Fort Wayne.
The Aggies added four more runs in the fourth inning off RBIs from
Britt Graham,
Tommy Tabak and Villareal. In the final two innings, the Aggies put up six more runs to run-rule the Trailblazers in seven innings.
Josh Laukkanen picked up his first win of the year, as he allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out five Trailblazers.
The Aggies will complete the four-game series with the Trailblazers tomorrow at noon at Presley Askew Field. Tickets will be sold at the gate on first-come, first-served basis with gates opening at 11 a.m.
++NM State++
