COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Josh Laukkanen and Lyle Hibbitts did a fine job of holding Texas A&M's lineup in check for the first six innings, but the visitors' bats struggled to get anything going against the Aggies' Bryce Miller who struck out 15 in NM State's 5-0 loss Saturday at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
SCORING SUMMARY
B2 | For the second-straight night, the hosts hopped on the board first. Texas A&M tagged Laukkanen for three consecutive one-out single to load the bases. That set up nine-hole hitter Kalae
Harrison who drew a five-pitch walk to drive in the game's first run, putting NM State in a 1-0 hole.
B7 | A mammoth insurance run crossed home plate for Texas A&M early on in the home half of the seventh as the hosts would go on to put a four-spot on the board in the frame. Will Frizzell's fourth hit of the day came in the form of a single which put runners on the corners with nobody out. After Ben Des Rosiers struck out his first - and only - batter of the game, a wild offering from the sophomore allowed Ray Alejo to come home from third and made matters 2-0 in favor of the SEC Aggies. Ty Coleman doubled that lead to 4-0 with a two-run single up the middle before Trevor Werner closed out the scoring with an RBI single to account for the final score.
AT THE DISH
• Zerek Saenz generated two of NM State's five hits (both were singles) while Brandon Dieter and Ethan Mann both managed to rope doubles down the line against Miller.
• Frizzell led Texas A&M's 11-hit attack by going a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate. Coleman and Werner generated two hits apiece, too, as Texas A&M's seven-through-nine hitters drove in all five of the hosts' runs.
ON THE HILL
• Laukkanen did his job to make sure Texas A&M's bats were, for the most part, held in check. The right-hander struck out six and gave up six hits and a pair of walks in 4 1/3 innings of action before giving way to Lyle Hibbitts with one down in the bottom of the fifth.
• Hibbitts and Des Rosiers each struck out one and NM State used five pitchers in the setback.
• Miller's afternoon ended after the seventh innings and through his seven frames of action the right-hander piled up 15 of Texas A&M's 21 strikeouts. Chandler Jozwiak fired the final two frames and racked up six strikeouts of his own.
COMING UP NEXT
• NM State and Texas A&M will put the wraps on their three-game non-conference set Sunday from Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park. Senior righty Chris Jefferson will try to move to 2-0 on the year when he gets the start for NM State for Sunday's noon MT start.
++NM State++
