Aggies Run-Rule Jax State for the Series Sweep

JACKSONVILLE, Alabama (KVIA) -- The NM State Aggies beat the Jax State Gamecocks 22-8 in seven innings in the series finale on April 28, at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium. Powered by a 5-5 day from Titus Dumitru and a 4-4 day from Nick Gore, the Aggies recorded 18 total hits in the ballgame.

The Aggies jumped out of the gate in the first frame of the ballgame. With a hit-by-pitch and back-to-back walks the Aggies got the bases loaded with no outs. Gore stepped up to the plate and singled to center field to score the first run of the game. Logan Gallina was hit by the pitch to drive in another run.

Jax State then threw a wild pitch which allowed Mitch Namie to advance and score. Kade Benavidez then hit a two RBI double to left field that gave the Aggies a five-run lead in the first. This was Benavidez’s second double of the season. 

Brady Baltus earned his first start on the mound for the Aggies, in the bottom of the first with a five-run lead, Baltus made quick work of the Gamecocks sitting down the first three hitters he saw.

In the top of the second the Aggie bats stayed hot. Dumitru led the inning off with a leadoff single. Gore then hit his second single on the game to advance Dumitru to third. A walk from Logan Gallina loaded the bases. Damone Hale was hit by the pitch to give the Aggies six runs in the game.

With bases loaded Benavidez hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Gore, this was Benavidez’s third RBI of the game. Freshman Steve Solorzano hit a single to left field to give the Aggies an eight-run lead in the second inning. Baltus kept dealing in the bottom of the second only needing to see three hitters.

Dumitru led off the third with another single, Gore followed that single up with one of his own which advanced Dumitru to third. Gallina was the next man up as he knocked his sixth double of the season to right field to score one run and put the Aggies up nine.

With bases loaded in the fourth, Dumitru singled to left field that scored Solorzano and Ballesteros in the fourth inning. Namie then doubled down the left field line to score Jones. Gore continued his tear at the plate with a double to left field to score two more runs for the Aggies.

With bases loaded once again in the fourth, freshman Solorzano hit a double to left field. Romeo Ballesteros hit a sacrifice fly to left field which scored Benavidez. The Aggies put up eight runs in the fourth inning to give the Aggies 17 runs in the ballgame.

In the bottom of the fourth, Jax State scored five runs on an error, a 2 RBI double, an RBI single, and an RBI fielder’s choice.  Jax State recorded the five runs on four hits with two errors by the Aggies.

In the top of the fifth the Aggies got the bases loaded on a single, walk and a hit-by-pitch. With the bases loaded back-to-back walks gave the Aggies a 14-run lead over the Gamecocks.

In the bottom of the fifth Jax State added one run on a solo homer for their sixth run of the ballgame.

In the top of the sixth, after a hit-by-pitch, a single and a fielder’s choice, the Aggies had runners on first and third. Gore then hit a sacrifice fly to give the Aggies 20 runs in the ballgame.

In the top of the seventh, Preston Godfrey came into the game and blasted his fifth home run on a two-run bang to give the Aggies 22 runs. The 22 runs tied the season high in runs scored for the Aggies.

In the bottom of the seventh the Gamecocks added two runs, but those runs were not enough to escape the 10-run rule as the Aggies would finish their game in the seventh.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Dumitru earned his 14th multi-hit game and fifth multi-RBI of the season.
• Gore earned his 15th multi-hit game and 14th multi-RBI of the season.
• Benavidez went 2-3 with four RBIs earning his fourth multi-hit game and second multi-RBI game of the season.
• Solorzano went 3-5 with three RBIs to earn his third multi-RBI game of the season and seventh multi-hit game of the season.
• Godfrey had a two-run blast in the seventh to earn his fifth multi-RBI game of the season.

UP NEXT:

The Aggies are set to host New Mexico in a midweek contest on April 30 at 6 p.m. MT, at Presley Askew Field. 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)