Aggies Walk It Off in Thriller Against Portland

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- NM State pulled off a thrilling comeback to defeat Portland 11-10 in a rollercoaster contest at Presley Askew Field on Sunday afternoon. The Aggies battled back from an early 5-0 deficit to secure a walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth inning, with Austin Corbett delivering the decisive blow.

The game began with Portland's offense surging out of the gate. The Pilots plated three runs in the first inning, highlighted by an RBI triple from Doyle Kane and a run-scoring single by Nolan Miller. Portland added two more in the second thanks to a two-run homer by Kane, giving the visitors a commanding 5-0 lead.

NM State wasted no time responding. The Aggies erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the second inning, ignited by Tommy Meluskey's towering three-run home run. Steve Solorzano followed with a run-scoring double, and Mitch Namie chipped in with an RBI single to push NM State in front 7-5.

Portland clawed back with two runs in the fourth, courtesy of Brady Bean's two-run homer that tied the score at 7-7. The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the sixth when Namie roped a double into the right-center gap, plating Tariq Freeny and giving NM State an 8-7 lead.

The Pilots regained the advantage in the seventh when Zach Toglia blasted a two-run homer to left field, putting Portland back in front 9-8. The Aggies showed resilience once again in the bottom of the eighth when Solorzano crushed a two-run home run that put NM State back on top 10-9.

Portland refused to go quietly, tying the game at 10-10 in the ninth inning on Toglia's RBI double. However, NM State had the final say. In the bottom of the ninth, Bryce Campbell's leadoff single and a walk to Sheehan O'Connor set the stage. With runners on base, Corbett stepped up and delivered a clutch single to left field on the first pitch of his lone at-bat of the game, bringing a pinch-running Boston Vest home for the dramatic walk-off win.

Solorzano led the Aggies offensively, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three RBIs. Meluskey also played a pivotal role with a three-run blast in the second inning. Namie added three hits and two RBIs, while Campbell contributed three hits of his own.

On the mound, Saul Soto (3-0) provided steady relief to earn the win, pitching five innings while allowing three earned runs and striking out four. Portland’s Trey Swygart took the loss after surrendering the game-winning run in the ninth.

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• This is the Aggies’ second home victory of walk-off fashion after also earning a walk-off win in 10 innings against Oakland on Feb. 28.
• Hitting out of the leadoff spot for the first time all season, Steve Solorzano posted his fourth three-hit game of the season while recording his fourth home run of his sophomore campaign after tallying three home runs as a freshman in 2024.
• Mitch Namie recorded his second three-hit game of the year while submitting his team-leading ninth double.
• Playing in just his third game of the year, Bryce Campbell recorded the first three-hit game of his young Aggie career. On the weekend, Campbell finished 5-for-10 at the plate with a pair of doubles and three RBIs.
• After homering on Saturday, Tommy Meluskey launched his second home run of the season on Sunday – capping off a stellar weekend in which he batted .556 (5-9) and logged four extra-base hits and seven of the Aggies’ 29 RBIs on the weekend.
• Tariq Freeny tallied his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
• The Aggies moved to 9-5 at home and posted 10 or more runs in a single game for the fifth time this season and second time this weekend.
• Saul Soto collected his third win of the season while tossing a season high 5.0 innings. Today also marked his third consecutive outing with at least three strikeouts. 

UP NEXT

The Aggies will have a quick turnaround as they prepare for their second straight five-game road trip, beginning Wednesday. On Wednesday, the Aggies will take on UNC Greensboro at 2 p.m. MT before traveling to Lynchburg, Va., for their first CUSA series of the season as they take on Liberty starting on Friday. After the three-game series, the Aggies will return to Greensboro, N.C., for a Tuesday day game against UNC Greensboro slated to begin at 10 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 (NM State Baseball).

##NM State##