LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Ten innings wasn't enough for the Aggies on Friday night as NM State fell on the diamond 7-6 to Sacramento State. Christian Perez highlighted the offense for NM State, notching a career-high four hits and scoring a pair of runs.  
 
Scoreless until the fourth inning, the Hornets took a 1-0 lead with a bases loaded sacrifice fly. The lead was short-lived, though, as NM State responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. After a fielding error by the first baseman on a ball hit by Damone Hale, Nolan Funke came around to score, tying the game. The following batter, Nick Gore, laced a single through the right side, scoring Perez and putting NM State on top.  
 
Half an inning later, Sacramento State tied the ballgame at two on a bloop single down the right field life. Treyjen Meza would stop the scoring there, though, and the score would remain tied until the eighth inning. Meza's dazzling start went by the wayside as he exited trailing 3-2. The Green Valley, Arizona native worked 7.0 innings on Friday, tying the longest start by an Aggie this season.  
 
Sacramento State pushed two runs across in the eighth inning, including one on an unlucky bounce for NM State. Following a home run to lead off the inning, the Hornets continued to move runners around. On a pitch in the dirt, the ball lodged in Nick Gore's chest protector which, by rule, allows all runners to advance a base and scored a run for the Hornets.  
 
Gore got his revenge in the bottom of the ninth when he led off the inning with a home run down the left field line. With his seventh round tripper of the season, Gore brought the Aggies back within a run. After a pair of walks by Preston Godfrey and Mitch Namie, Kevin Jimenez tied the game at six when he smashed a single through the right side. 
 
In the top of the tenth inning, Sacramento State hit a pair of home runs off of Matthew Maloney. For the past month and a half, Maloney had been lights out with only two earned runs allowed since March 14. NM State needed some magic in the bottom of the tenth to keep the game alive.  
 
Perez was the first Aggie to reach in the tenth inning with a line drive that smoked of lower body of the pitcher. With two away, Gore once again came up in a huge way for the Aggies. The Phoenix College transfer smashed a double into the right-center draft, scoring Perez and bringing the winning run to the plate. The extra inning magic ended there, though, as a flyout to right field ended the ballgame. 
 
NM State and Sacramento State will once again meet on Saturday afternoon as the Aggies look to tie the series. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m. MT from Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces.  
 
Quick Hits 

• Treyjen Meza matched the longest appearance by an NM State starter this season, throwing 7.0 innings.  
• Matthew Maloney took the loss in extra innings, falling to 1-4 on the season.  
• Maloney had allowed just two earned runs in his last twelve appearances out of the bullpen. 
• Christian Perez picked up a career-high four hits on Friday night 
• Nick Gore had three hits and three RBI, including a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.  
• As a team, NM State outhit Sacramento State 13-11 
• The Aggies bounced into four double plays in the ballgame.