SALT LAKE CITY – The New Mexico State baseball team couldn't keep the ball in the field on Friday as it fell at Utah 5-1 on Smith's Ballpark. The Aggie pitching staff combined to give up four home runs, three of which were solo shots.
 
Utah (8-3) struck first in their half of the second frame when Wade Gulden took the first pitch he saw from NM State starter Kyle Bradish and lifted over the right field fence.
 
The Aggies (9-7) would get that run back in the top of fourth when they loaded the bases with two outs. After Joey Ortiz grounded into a double-play, Austin Botello laced a two-bagger into right field and scored the game-tying run on a wild pitch from Utah's starter Jayson Rose after moving to third on back-to-back walks.
 
Bradish and Rose settled down after that and pitched a pair of scoreless frames. After relieving Bradish in the top of the seventh, Matthew Perea gave up a solo shot to left with two outs to give the home team the go-ahead run, 2-1.
 
Rose retired nine-straight Aggies before ending his night after seven strong innings of work. Brent Sakurai led off the eighth inning with a triple to right, but never crossed the plate after Dylan Drachler came in for the five-out save.
 
The Utes offense gave Drachler some insurance runs in the bottom-half of the eight, as it pushed three more runs across the plate as the game ended in favor of Utah 5-1.
 
Bradish pitched six strong innings for NM State while giving up just one earned run on five hits, a walk and six strikeouts. Utah's starter, Rose, also had a good night on the mound, hurling seven frames of work and giving up just a run.
 
New Mexico State and Utah continue their three-game series as the two teams square off at 1 p.m. (MT) on the free Pac-12 Network+ live stream with Josh Fisher on the call. Marcel Renteria (2-0, 3.14) will get the ball on Saturday for NM State while Utah counters with Riley Ottesen (2-0, 2.95 ERA)