Aggie Baseball Takes First Conference Series of the Season

by NMSU Athletics

LAS CRUCES, N.M.– The New Mexico State baseball won 15-9 over San Jose State University to take the first conference series of the year at Presley Askew Field, Saturday, March 22.

With the win the Aggies go to 9-10 overall and 3-1 in Western Athletic Conference play, while SJSU fell to 13-8 overall and 4-4 in conference.  NMSU scored their fifteen runs all with two outs Saturday.

“It would be nice to score with less than to outs, but we’ll take them anyway we can,” head coach Rocky Ward said.

NMSU crossed the plate 15 times off 20 hits and cut down the errors to three, while the Spartans scored nine runs from 10 hits and committed two errors on the day.

The Aggies were led by outstanding performances from shortstop Richard Stout (Boise, Idaho), third baseman Marcus Quade (Littleton, Colo.), first baseman Chris Auten (Agovra Hills, Calif.) and right fielder Franky Busani.  Each of those players had at least three hits on the day, while Busani, along with left fielder Tyler Hardt hit home runs.

NMSU took the early lead in the first scoring four runs, three of which came off a three run blast off Hardt’s bat.  The Spartans scored three times in the third and four in the fourth to take a 7-4 lead before NMSU took the lead again in the sixth.

The sixth inning didn’t start well after Hardt fouled out to first base and second baseman Bryan Marquez immediately followed that with a ground out to the shortstop.  However, the Aggies put up nine runs off eight hits after those two outs.  There were RBI from Stout, Quade, two from Auten, two from designated hitter Colin Crouthamel (Elma, Wash.), and three from Busani.

Up 13-7 going into the eighth, SJSU scored two more runs, but the Aggies made up for those with two runs of their own when Busani hit a bomb over the centerfield wall and backup catcher Jake Hammons (Snohomish, Wash.) scored on a wild pitch when the bases were loaded.

NMSU now looks forward to New Mexico with a game March 25 and March 26.

 

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