LAS CRUCES, N.M. - For the third time in as many days at Presley Askew Field, offense was at anything but a premium, but this time it was Dixie State who managed to manufacture more of it.
NM State mounted a late rally by scoring 10 runs in innings seven through nine, but the Trailblazers' 11-run lead proved to be too much for the Aggies to come back from in a 19-13 loss Sunday afternoon.
SCORING SUMMARY
T1 | Much like the first three games of the series, a multitude of runs were piled onto the scoreboard early on. This time, however, they were on the Trailblazers' portion of the scoreboard. A walk, a hit-by-pitch and a single loaded the bases for Dixie State cleanup man Jake Engel who answered the call in a big way. His bases-clearing double was followed up with an RBI double off the steel of Lane Pritchard to put the Aggies at an early 4-0 disadvantage.
T2 | The hole the Aggies had to try and climb out of grew deeper when the Trailblazers hung a five-spot on the board in the second. Ben Petty-Hull came up with an RBI single which preceded a three-run homer off the bat of Kaden Hollow which made matters 8-0. Before the inning was over, Pritchard swiped home to give the visitors a 9-0 cushion.
B2 | NM State showed off some of the power it had displayed through the course of the series to creep closer. Ronnie Allen Jr., connected off of Dixie State starter Tevita Gerber for a two-run shot to center. The Aggies made it a six-run game when Jason Bush crossed home plate on the Trailblazers' first error of the afternoon.
T6 | Threatening to put the game out of reach, Dixie State posted another five runs in the sixth. Cade Spurlin socked a solo homer before Engel hammered a two-run shot of his own. Jagun Leavitt and Mathew Ivancich were each able to come up with RBI singles before the Aggies got out of the frame trailing 14-3.
B7 | Getting its second wind, the Aggies made it a game once again with a four-run seventh. Brandon Dieter got things started with an RBI triple before Kevin Jimenez followed with a sacrifice fly. The inning's biggest swing came courtesy of Noah Haupt who launched a two-run long ball to right which cut Dixie State's lead to 14-7.
T8 | Three hits by the Trailblazers turned into two more runs for the visitors. Back-to-back doubles got the inning started and a one-out RBI single put NM State's deficit at 16-7.
T9 | Adding more insurance they wound up needing, Dixie State tacked on four more in a four-hit ninth. Consecutive doubles once again started the inning while a pair of two-out RBI singles hiked the visitors' lead to 19-7.
B9 | Some late fireworks allowed the Aggies to cut into their 12-run deficit. Dieter delivered a solo homer before Haupt's one-out RBI single made it a 10-run game. Austin Duffy got in on the power hitting party, cranking a one-out grand slam beyond the fence in right-center to account for the final 19-13 score.
AT THE DISH
• Zerek Saenz came up with a team-high three of the Aggies' 13 hits in the series finale. Dieter, Haupt and Tommy Tabak each turned in a pair of hits while Dieter and Haupt drove in five runs between them.
• Duffy's grand slam was his lone hit of the afternoon, but did allow him to finish the day with four RBI.
• Six Trailblazers manufactured multi-hit outings on the final day of the series with Kaden Hollow, Ivancich and Pritchard coming up with three each. Engel drove in a game-high five runs while Hollow and Ivancich wrapped up the day with four and three RBI respectively.
ON THE HILL
• Starter Ian Mejia took the loss for the Aggies after giving up four runs on three hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch to start the game.
• For the Trailblazers, Zach Thomas earned the team's first pitching victory of the year by tossing three frames of five-hit, four-run baseball.
COMING UP NEXT
• NM State's nine-game home stand continues Tuesday evening at 5:00 p.m. when it welcomes NAIA foe Benedictine Mesa to Presley Askew Field.
++NM State++
