LAS CRUCES, N.M. - A bullpen day equaled a midweek win - the first of the Mike Kirby coaching era - for the NM State baseball team.
Stringing things together with their collection of relief arms, the Aggies' seven-man pitching arsenal combined to rack up 12 strikeouts and their bats backed them up, too, in a 7-3 victory over Benedictine Mesa Wednesday evening at Presley Askew Field.
SCORING PLAYS
B1 | After Rorik Maltrud faced the minimum in the first, the Aggies' lineup gave its pitching staff a lead to work with. Zerek Saenz led off with a two-bagger on the third pitch he saw, Brandon Dieter took a four-pitch walk and that set the table for Ethan Mann. The first baseman turned on the first offering he laid eyes on and bounced it off the wall in left for an RBI double that put the home team ahead 1-0.
B3 | Dieter's first hit of the day left the park as the shortstop socked a one-out solo homer on a 1-1 offering from Benedictine Mesa starter Tyler Jacobsen. That long ball - Dieter's team-leading fourth of the year - extended the Aggies' lead to 2-0.
T5 | Showing off their power at the plate, the Redhawks made it a one-run game before the halfway point. Travis Hunt turned on a 1-0 offering from Brendon Rodriguez and smashed it beyond the fence in left. That solo shot cut the Aggies' lead to 2-1.
B5 | In order to push its lead back to two runs, NM State used a little small ball. Cal Villareal led off the frame with a double and scampered over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Saenz. Mann's second RBI of the day followed when he brought Villareal home with a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-1 game.
B6 | NM State chased Jacobsen from the game in the sixth by making use of a three-hit attack. Austin Duffy connected for a one-out single which preceded a double down the right field line off the steel of Ronnie Allen Jr. With both runners in scoring position, a wild toss from Jacobsen let Duffy race home. Connor Laux wore one from Jacobsen to get himself on base and Saenz provided the knockout blow with a two-run single through the left side which extended the home team's lead to 6-1.
T7 | Switching things up in a big way, the Aggies sent Dieter to the hill in the seventh. The sophomore was greeted rudely, however, as the Redhawks amassed a quartet of base knocks off of the first-time NM State hurler. Hunt hammered his second solo homer of the afternoon before a hit and the Aggies' lone error of the night allowed another run to cross home plate. Mario Ramirez sent a hard two-hopper up the middle for a single, but the ball got past the Aggies' outfield and nearly went to the wall. That let Orlando Lorduy, who generated a single of his own in the inning, come all the way home from first to cut the Aggies' lead to 6-3.
B7 | In their final bases-loaded opportunity of the game, the Aggies were able to capitalize. Duffy sent a one-out fielder's choice ball to shortstop and beat a high throw to first to receive credit for an RBI when Dieter scored from third.
AT THE DISH
• The upper third of the Aggies' order did the lion's share of the work in the batter's box, combining to go 5-for-9 with five RBI and three runs scored. Mann and Saenz each went 2-for-4 with two RBI apiece while Dieter reached base four times (one hit, three walks), scored a pair of runs and drove in one more.
• Villareal put forth a 2-for-4 effort, finishing with a double and a run scored.
• Hunt's day helped the Redhawks keep it close. The right fielder went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo homers and was one of four Benedictine Mesa players who amassed two hits on the night.
ON THE HILL
• In a move predetermined well before the first pitch crossed home plate, Rorik Maltrud (1-0) got the start and earned his first victory in an Aggie uniform. In two innings of work, he faced the minimum amount of batters, struck out two and surrendered just one hit.
• Seven total arms worked their way onto the hill for NM State and they combined to record 12 strikeouts for the game. Ben Des Rosiers tossed the final two frames and racked up five of those punch outs.
• Jacobsen dropped to 4-1 on the year after letting up six runs on eight hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch in 5 2/3 frames of action. Malik Binns fired the final 2 1/3 innings for the Redhawks and posted a line of one run on two hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch.
COMING UP NEXT
• NM State readies itself for another Western Athletic Conference (WAC) series this weekend when Northern Colorado makes the trip to Presley Askew Field. The four-game set gets going Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. and the series opener is set to be televised on FOX Sports Arizona Plus, Comcast New Mexico, the FOX Sports GO app and the WAC Digital Network.
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