LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Traditionally it's the heart of a lineup that deals the most damage.
While that held true Friday night at Presley Askew Field, the top and bottom of the Aggies' order came up with its fair share of offensive punch as well.
Zerek Saenz went 4-for-5 with four RBI, Kevin Jimenez drove in four additional runs on the strength of a 3-for-5 night at the plate and Frank Dickson Jr., put forth a gutsy relief effort on the mound as NM State used a late-inning rally to get by Northern Colorado 13-7. The win pushed the Aggies' record to 6-7 while their WAC record now stands at 4-1.
SCORING SUMMARY
T1 | Right from the get-go, the Bears jumped on Aggie starter Chris Barraza. The first pitch Barraza threw wound up traveling over the batter's eye in center as Jake Gitter started the four-game series with a solo home run. From there, a pair of doubles allowed the visitors to tack on another run and open up a 2-0 lead.
B1 | The WAC's batting average leader, Zerek Saenz, punched a single to left to lead off his team's portion of the first. With one down, the Aggies' cut the Bears' lead in half courtesy of Ethan Mann. Taking an 0-2 offering from Northern Colorado starter Dylan Bowers, Mann drilled it to the gap in right-center for an RBI double that made matters 2-1.
B2 | Some timely two-out hitting - as well as some substantial speed on the base paths - helped the Aggies take the lead by hanging a crooked number on the board. Jason Bush began the big frame with a one-out single before Austin Duffy took a six-pitch walk. With two outs, Saenz struck by firing a two-run triple down the left field line to put the Aggies up 3-2. Kevin Jimenez drove in two more runs when a sinking liner got by the Bears' diving center fielder. That two-run triple pushed the home team's lead to 5-0.
T3 | Inching closer to regaining the lead, Northern Colorado struck for a pair of runs. An RBI groundout accounted for one while a two-out RBI double off the bat of designated hitter Johnny Graham was another.
T4 | Matt Burkart came up with the Bears' second long ball of the night, taking Barraza deep on the opening pitch of the fourth. An unearned run crossed home plate on an RBI groundout before Barraza was pulled with two down in the innings and the Aggies trailing 6-5.
T5 | Gitter was at it again for the Bears as he pushed their lead to two by getting to NM State relief man Frank Dickson Jr. A two-out RBI double down the left field line hiked Northern Colorado's lead to 7-5.
B6 | After Bowers got thrown out of the game after the fourth, it took just one inning for the Aggies to solve Northern Colorado relief arm Sam Wyatt. Noah Haupt's walk started the inning before Jason Bush reached on a strikeout to put runners on the corners with no outs. A perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Austin Duffy allowed Haupt to come around and score. Saenz came up big again, punching a high two-hopper deep up the middle to score Bush and knot matters at seven each. Following a four-pitch walk by Brandon Dieter, Jimenez handed the Aggies the lead once again. His RBI single brought Saenz home and put the home team up 8-7.
B7 | NM State broke things open in earnest by sending nine men to the plate in a five-run seventh. Bush began the big frame with a one-out RBI single before Saenz came through in a bases-loaded situation. His one-out Texas leaguer to no man's land in shallow left plated another Aggie run before Dieter's fielder's choice ball added another. A throwing error on that play allowed another NM State run to touch home and Jimenez struck again with another RBI single to make it a 13-7 game.
AT THE DISH
• Three of Saenz's four hits were singles while the other was a triple. The outfielder scored three of his team's 13 runs while also driving in a game-high four.
• Jimenez, who didn't play in his team's midweek win over Benedictine Mesa, came back stronger than ever. Three of the Aggies' 13 hits came off of his bat and he also came up with four RBI.
• Bush, who batted in the seven-hole all night, benefitted from a great night in the batter's box, too, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored.
• Five Bears posted two hits on the night including Gitter who drove in two runs and scored another two. Both of his hits were of the extra-base variety.
ON THE HILL
• Not playing a factor in the final decision, Barraza lasted 3 2/3 innings and gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks while striking out five.
• Coming on in relief of Barraza, Dickson Jr., did a masterful job of holding the Bears' lineup in check. Through his 3 1/3 frames of action, Dickson Jr., rang up five Northern Colorado batters and surrendered just one run on four hits and a walk to earn his first victory of the year.
• Before he was tossed, Bowers worked his way through four innings for the Bears. The right-hander was charged for five runs on five hits and a trio of bases on balls. Wyatt (1-1) was charged with six runs (all earned) on three hits and four walks in 2 1/3 innings.
COMING UP NEXT
• Game two and three of the four-game WAC series will be played Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Presley Askew Field. Senior Chris Jefferson is set to deliver balls and strikes in game one of the doubleheader while Josh Laukkanen will get the ball for game two.
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