Aggie Baseball Wraps Up Rainy Weekend in Georgia

MARIETTA, Georgia (KVIA) -- On Sunday, NM State concluded an eventful weekend in the Peach State that saw the Aggies complete only two of the three games they were originally scheduled to play. Ultimately, NM State came up short in the two games it played on the road at Kennesaw State, falling to 22-25 on the season and 10-10 in Conference USA play. Meanwhile, the Owls conclude the weekend with a 24-22 overall record and a 14-6 mark in league play.

Currently, the Aggies sit in fifth place in the league standings with just two series remaining on the season. NM State will return home this weekend to host Western Kentucky in a three-game series that is slated to begin on Friday at 6 p.m. MT.

GAME ONE | Kennesaw State 11, NM State 9

In a game that began on Friday and ended on Sunday and spanned a total of 42 hours and 16 minutes due to weather delays, the Aggies surrendered a six-run ninth inning and fell 11–9 to Kennesaw State on Sunday morning.

NM State came out firing on all cylinders, capitalizing on early KSU miscues to jump out to a 2–0 lead in the top of the first without recording a hit. Brandon Forrester and Steve Solorzano worked walks, and heads-up baserunning combined with a costly error by the Owl shortstop allowed Forrester to score the game's first run. Solorzano later stole home to cap off the aggressive start.

The Aggies kept the pressure on in the second. Gianni Horvat and Austin Corbett sparked a rally with back-to-back singles, and once again, Kennesaw State’s defense faltered. Another error allowed three unearned runs to cross the plate, with Bryce Campbell lacing an RBI double to make it 6–0.

Despite holding a 7–3 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Owls began to chip away. A two-run homer by KSU’s Wesley Alig in the fifth made it 7–5, and moments after NM State added some insurance in the ninth with a clutch two-run blast by Mitch Namie, the game would be postponed due to inclement weather. Although there were intentions to resume the game on Saturday, the weather did not permit the game to continue until Sunday morning.

With just three outs remaining, the game picked up where it left off on Sunday morning. The bottom of the ninth unraveled quickly for the Aggies. NM State pitchers issued three consecutive walks and two hit-by-pitches, allowing KSU to close the gap to 9–7 with no outs. After a sacrifice fly made it 9–8, Nate Anderson delivered the knockout blow—a three-run homer to right center that stunned the Aggie dugout and walked it off for the Owls.

Offensively, Namie drove in a pair of runs, while Corbett tallied two hits and an RBI.

GAME TWO | Kennesaw State 5, NM State 1

In the second game, NM State couldn’t generate enough offense to overcome a fast start by Kennesaw State, falling 5–1 on Sunday afternoon.

The Owls jumped ahead early with a two-run homer in the first inning from Donovan Cash, and the Aggies were playing catch-up the rest of the way. Despite a solid effort from the mound after the early damage, NM State’s offense struggled to find rhythm, producing just one run on five hits.

The Aggies’ lone breakthrough came in the fifth inning. Gianni Horvat sparked the offense with a double to left field, and Austin Corbett followed with an RBI double down the line to cut the deficit to 2–1. However, that was as close as NM State would get.

Kennesaw State responded in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs, stretching their lead to 4–1. Cash struck again in the seventh with his second home run of the game, putting the game out of reach.

Horvat was a bright spot for the Aggies, going 2-for-4 with two doubles. Corbett also contributed a pair of hits and the team's only RBI. Starting pitcher Connor Wylde and reliever Ian Hoslett combined to keep the game within reach, allowing just three runs across seven innings following the first-inning homer.

Ultimately, NM State left six runners on base and couldn’t capitalize on the few opportunities they had.

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