LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State baseball team played host to Division III opponent Sul Ross State on Tuesday afternoon. The midweek contest featured an offensive explosion for the Aggies as they took down the Lobos 19-9.
 
How it happened
NM State (21-13, 6-0 WAC) trotted out Chris Kucko to the mound to start against Sul Ross State (12-22, 5-13 ASC) right-hander Cody Remore. The Aggie bats got hot early and with two men on and no one out, Austin Botello singled up the middle to score the first run of the game. Dan Hetzel followed that up with a double to center to score another. Mason Fishback then drove in two more runs with a base-knock through the left side and a passed ball brought home a runner from third to give NM State a 5-0 lead after the first inning.
 
The next two innings featured scoreless baseball for each starter, but the offenses came back to life in the fourth. In the top half, Sul Ross State put three runs on the board to cut into the Aggies lead. Then in the bottom of the fourth, NM State responded with another run on a bases loaded walk.
 
After going three-up and three-down through the Lobos lineup, the Aggies came out in the bottom of the fifth with another high-scoring inning. NM State loaded the bases with no outs and leadoff batter Brent Sakurai singled to left to bring home two runs to start the scoring. Dan Hetzel then came up to bat and knocked a liner over the left field wall for a three-run home run to put the team up 11-3 through five innings.
 
The visitors responded with a solo homer in the sixth, which was answered by the Aggies in the bottom half when a two-out single by Sakurai brought another Aggie across the plate. A one-two-three top of the seventh was followed by another one-run inning for NM State when Tristen Carranza scored on a passed ball and the Aggies led 13-4 heading to the eighth.
 
Each team had their highest scoring innings of the game in the eighth. After Sul Ross State put five runs up on the board, NM State came out and silenced any talk of a comeback in the bottom half. A single through the right side by Joey Ortiz started the rally bringing home Roman Trujillo from second base. Botello then roped a double to left center to score another run. Dan Hetzel then hit his second home run of the game with a three-run bomb to left field. The teams sixth and final run of the inning came on a David Bellamy single up the middle which scored Carranza.
 
Chris Butcher came to the mound to close out the game in the ninth and the Aggie threw a one-two-three inning to secure the team's 19-9 victory.
 
Chris Kucko (1-1) earned the win on the day and Lobo starter Cody Remore (4-4) was charged with the loss. NM State finished with 19 hits which featured seven Aggies with multiple base-knocks. The offense was led by Sakurai, Botello and Hetzel who each recorded three hits, followed by Ortiz, Carranza, Fishback and Bellamy with two apiece.
 
The New Mexico State baseball team now travels for a three-game series against Western Athletic Conference foe Sacramento State, April 13-15. All three games can be heard on 91.5 FM KRUX with Adam Young on the call.