NM State Collects Sunday Win, Clinches Series Over LA Tech

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- NM State pieced together early offense and a strong bullpen effort to clinch the series over LA Tech with an 8-6 win on Sunday at Presley Askew Field at Johnson Stadium. With the win the Aggies improve to 10-12 overall and 3-3 in Conference USA play. This also marks the Aggies first CUSA series win of the young conference season.

The Aggies answered LA Tech's two‑run first with a three‑run frame highlighted by Steve Solorzano's leadoff homer, an Aidan Taclas double, Boston Vest's RBI triple and Easton Rulli's RBI single. NM State added another in the second on Solorzano's RBI single to take a 4-3 lead.

After a Trey Hawsey home run briefly tied it, the Aggies punched back with a three‑run fifth, fueled by RBI singles from Vest and Rulli, who helped NM State extend its lead to 7-4. LA Tech tightened things up in the sixth with a pair of runs, but Rulli added another RBI single in the seventh to give the Aggies insurance and leave the score at 8-6.

On the mound, JT Price stabilized things with 2.2 innings of one‑run relief to earn the win, Bradyn Barnes and Carson Timmons tossed a combined 2.1 scoreless innings, and Dylan Weekly shut the door, allowing no hits over the final 1.2 innings.

Solorzano (2‑for‑4, HR, 2 RBI), Vest (2‑for‑4, 2 RBI), Taclas (2‑for‑4), and Rulli (3‑for‑4, 3 RBI) powered a 13‑hit day.

NOTABLES

NM State also recorded another triple on Sunday to bring their season total to a nation's-leading 14.

NM State continued its dominance of LA Tech at home as it improved to 16-4 against the Bulldogs in Las Cruces. Overall, the Aggies now hold a 29-17 mark when facing the Bulldogs.

With the series win, NM State now sits at 3-3 in league play after opening the year with back-to-back series against the programs picked first and second in the Conference USA Preseason Poll.

NM State improved to 10-1 in contests that it scores eight runs or more.

The Aggies are now 10-5 at home this season and 39-30 in home games under Head Coach Jake Angier.

Following a two-hit day on Sunday, Steve Solorzano now has 10 multi-hit games to lead all Aggies in 2026. In total, Solorzano has 39 multi-hit games over the course of his collegiate career.

Easton Rulli turned in his second three-hit game of the week after also recording three hits against TCU on Tuesday night. This ranks second on the team behind only Solorzano who has four on the season.

Aidan Taclas extended his hit streak to seven games and now sits just one game shy of matching Bryce Campbell's eight-game streak earlier this season for the longest Aggie hit streak this year.

Easton Rulli improved his reached base streak to 15 games to match the longest streak by any Aggie this season – joining Tommy Meluskey who reached base in 15 consecutive games earlier this year.

NM State has now tallied double-digit hits in nine games this season and is 8-1 when doing so.

The Aggies were hit by one pitch on Sunday and have now been hit by a pitch in all but five games this season after entering the day ranked 23^rd in the nation and second in the conference in this category.