NM State Baseball run rules Northern Colorado to win series

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- The NM State Aggies won game three over the Northern Colorado Bears 22-12 in seven innings at Presley Askew Field. The Aggies won their first series of the season with their most runs scored on the season. 

The Aggies bats continued to stay hot recording a season high 22 runs in six innings of work, the game was shortened due to the Aggies run ruling the Bears. The Aggies drove in nine runs in the fourth and eight runs in the sixth.  

Freshman Steve Solorzano drove in the first runs of the game in the first with a two-run home run scoring Damone Hale. The Bears answered the two runs in the top of the second, scoring six total runs to go up by four.  

In the bottom of the second the Aggies managed to cut the deficit to just two runs as Mitch Namie hit a solo home run to left center. Keith Jones II got involved in the game with an RBI double scoring Romeo Ballesteros.  

In the top of the fourth the Bears would drive in five runs to go up by seven over the Aggies. The Bears scored on an RBI single, and a grand slam hit by Carson Cross. 

The Aggies answered quickly as they managed to put up nine runs in the bottom of the fourth to take their first lead of the day. The nine runs scored were the most runs the Aggies have scored in an inning this season.  

Hale was hit by a pitch to score the first run of the inning. Solorzano was the next batter up and he would knock a two-run double. Gore would continue his hit streak with an RBI single to right field.  

With four runs scored so far in the fourth the Aggies managed to get five more runs with one out remaining. The fifth run of the inning was scored on an RBI single to left field hit by Titus Dumitru. Sheehan O'Connor came up to plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth. He would take advantage of the runners by hitting a towering grand slam over the right-field wall.  

The Aggies would light up the scoreboard again in the bottom of the sixth scoring eight runs. The scoring started on a Ballesteros single scoring Namie. Hale would then hit a three-run home run scoring both Jones and Ballesteros.  

The Aggies would notch one more run on a passed ball. After the passed ball the bases remained loaded, giving the Aggies the opportunity to score three more runs in the sixth on one walk and two hit-by-pitches. O'Connor was walked and both Jadon Arakaki and Ballesteros were hit by the pitch.  

The Aggies had five different pitchers get their opportunity on the mound. Reliever Cho Tofte earned his first win of the season throwing for one inning. Hayden Walker was the starting pitcher as he would throw for three innings, only allowing two earned runs and striking out three Northern Colorado hitters.  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: 

• Namie earned five runs in the game, this is the most runs an Aggie has in a game this season. 
• Namie also walked three times which is the most walks an Aggie has earned this season.  
• Jadon Arakaki was hit by a pitch twice in today's game which is now the season high for any Aggie. 
• The last time the aggies scored 20+ runs was in 2019 against Seattle U. 
• The Aggies were hit by five pitches in the game.  

UP NEXT: 
The NM State Aggies will face off against the Northern Colorado Bears in the final game of the four-game series Monday at 11 a.m. MT.  For complete coverage of NM State Baseball, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateBaseball), Instagram (@NMStateBaseball) and like us on Facebook (NMState Baseball)