STEPHENVILLE, Texas - A timely combination of Tarleton miscues as well as some punch at the plate were the ingredients the NM State baseball team used to put an end to its nine-game losing skid.

In danger of squandering an early 3-0 lead, the Aggies broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh by plating four runs and went on to secure an 8-3 WAC victory over Tarleton in game two of a league doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the Cecil Ballow Complex.

SCORING PLAYS
T2 | After capitalizing on some NM State errors in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, the Texans committed a miscue of their own to help the Aggies take their first lead of the day. Brandon Dieter made it to third after starting the inning with a single to the gap in right-center, and a two-out misplay on a ground ball by Austin Duffy allowed NM State's shortstop to come home.
T4 | Adding to their lead in a more conventional way in the fourth, NM State came up with two more hits to double its lead. Ronnie Allen Jr., made his way to first on a fielder's choice before Austin Duffy sent him to third with a single. Tommy Tabak made matters 2-0 in favor of the Aggies by ripping a fielder's choice ball to shortstop which allowed Allen Jr., to race home from third.
T5 | NM State's lone hit of the fifth produced yet another run for the visitors. Kevin Jimenez drew a leadoff walk and moved over to second on a balk, setting the table for Ethan Mann. NM State's sophomore infielder made the most of his opportunity, ripping an RBI single to the gap in left center which sent Jimenez home and extended the Aggies' lead to 3-0.
B5 |  The Aggies found themselves in trouble when Tarleton used two walks and a hit to load the bases with just one out, but Frank Dickson Jr., came on and kept the damage to a minimum. Kemue Thomas-Rivera punched a two-run double to left off of the Aggies' relief arm, but Dickson Jr., buckled down from there and used a strikeout and a groundout to help NM State get out of the inning clinging to a 3-2 lead.
B6 | After facing a three-run deficit, the Texans managed to tie things up in the home half of the sixth. Pinch-hitter Kade Turnage drew a leadoff walk and two batters later Ian Mejia gave up an RBI double to nine-hole hitter Ian Groves which knotted things at three runs apiece.
T7 | Not wanting to fall behind, the Aggies answered in a big way to begin the final third of the ballgame. Jimenez and Mann started the seventh with back-to-back singles and when Cal Villareal squared around to bunt the Texans threw his sacrifice try away which allowed Jimenez to score. Up 4-3, NM State proceeded to pad its lead in a big way with one out. Zach Smits bashed a three-run homer to left, hiking the visitors' lead to 7-3.
T8 | The long balls kept coming for the Aggies in the eighth when Jimenez hammered a solo shot over the fence in right to push his team's advantage to 8-3.

AT THE DISH
• Smits' big day in the batters box helped the Aggies reenter the win column. The infielder generated three of his team's 12 hits and drove in a trio of runs.
• Jimenez and Mann contributed two hits apiece to NM State's cause with the former scoring three of his team's eight runs.
• For the Texans, who saw their two-game winning streak snapped, Thomas-Rivera and Groves each accumulated a pair of base knocks. That duo combined to drive in all three of the Texans' runs in their first loss of the series.

ON THE HILL
• Sammy Natera struck out five batters and fired the first 4 1/3 innings for NM State. After Dickson Jr., exited after the fifth inning, Ian Mejia took over and tossed the final four frames to earn his first win of 2021.
• Mejia fanned three while not allowing a run on three hits and an equal number of walks.
• Hunter Thomas (0-5) was hit with the loss for the Texans after giving up five runs (three earned) on four hits in two innings of work.

COMING UP NEXT
• The fourth and final game of the inaugural regular-season series between the Aggies and Texans is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. MT from the Cecil Ballow Complex. Right-hander Cam Blazek will make his second-straight Sunday start atop the pitcher's mound for NM State.

++NM State++