LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Sacramento State pounded out 18 hits, including 11 from the top four of the lineup to cruise to a 16-4 seven-inning run rule shortened game on Saturday night at Presley Askew Field.
The Hornets (20-15, 6-5) earned their 20th victory on the year and moved back above .500 in Western Athletic Conference play. The 16 runs were the most scored by the team this season.
Nathan Lukes, Rhys Hoskins and Chris Lewis each had three hits and Andrew Ayers, Will Soto, Scotty Burcham and Dane Fujinaka all had two knocks in the game. Hoskins' hits included his second home run of the year as well as a double. Lukes, Lewis, Soto and Justin Higley also added two-base hits.
After the Aggies (19-16, 5-6) took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run from Kyle Phillips in the second inning, Sacramento State tied the game on a sacrifice fly from Ayers which scored Burcham.
That score held until the fourth inning when Hornets posted seven runs on only five hits. Lewis double drove in two runs, David Del Grande and Soto each plated runs on sac flies before Ayers and Lukes both had two out hits to score three unearned runs.
The cushion was plenty from starter Brennan Leitao who improved to 4-2 on the season. The sophomore threw 5.2 innings and allowed three runs and seven hits with one walk and one strikeout. Hunter Greenwood closed out the remaining 1.1 innings.
Sacramento State scored two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to take an 11-1 lead before NMSU answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Hornets tacked on five additional runs in the seventh on a seven-hit outburst. The first six batters reached base safely in the inning, including a leadoff double from Higley.
The rubber match of the series will take place on Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.

July 30, 2013
TEN SPOTS OPENED FOR BASEBALL PROSPECT CAMP

July 25, 2013
THREE BASEBALL PLAYERS EARN SUMMER LEAGUE ALL-STAR NODS

June 27, 2013
BASEBALL WELL REPRESENTED IN SUMMER COLLEGIATE LEAGUES

June 26, 2013
FOURTEEN HORNETS NAMED TO WAC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

June 10, 2013
McLOUGHLIN, LEWIS ADD TO POSTSEASON AWARDS

June 8, 2013
AYERS DRAFTED BY KANSAS CITY ROYALS

June 8, 2013
HIGLEY, MENDONCA SELECTED ON THIRD DAY OF MLB DRAFT

June 5, 2013
McLOUGHLIN, LEWIS NAMED FRESHMEN ALL-AMERICANS

May 20, 2013
BASEBALL HEADS TO GRAND PRAIRIE FOR WAC TOURNAMENT

April 30, 2013
QUICK START LIFTS BASEBALL TO 7-6 WIN AT NEVADA

April 29, 2013
SOTO, McLOUGHLIN NAMED WAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

April 28, 2013
BASEBALL CAPTURES SERIES WITH 4-1 WIN OVER LOUISIANA TECH

April 27, 2013
ONE RUN ENOUGH FOR BASEBALL IN 1-0 WIN OVER LA TECH

April 26, 2013
BASEBALL STUMBLES IN 5-4 LOSS TO LOUISIANA TECH

April 25, 2013
BASEBALL RETURNS HOME TO FACE LOUISIANA TECH

April 24, 2013
BASEBALL CONTINUES MIDWEEK SUCCESS WITH 7-2 WIN AT USF

April 23, 2013
McLOUGHLIN NAMED TO NCBWA WATCH LIST

April 23, 2013
BASEBALL COMPLETES SEASON SERIES SWEEP OF SAINT MARY'S

April 20, 2013
BASEBALL EVENS SERIES WITH 12-1 VICTORY AT UTSA

April 19, 2013
UTSA PULLS AWAY LATE TO WIN FIRST GAME OF SERIES

April 18, 2013
BASEBALL RETURNS TO TEXAS TO PLAY UTSA IN WAC SERIES

April 13, 2013
BASEBALL CRUSHES NEW MEXICO STATE, 16-4, IN RUN RULE GAME

April 12, 2013
DEFENSE FALTERS IN BASEBALL'S 5-4 LOSS AT NEW MEXICO STATE

April 11, 2013
BASEBALL TAKES FOUR GAME WIN STREAK TO NEW MEXICO STATE

April 5, 2013
BASEBALL BOUNCES BACK BY BEATING BOBCATS, 3-2

April 4, 2013
BASEBALL HOSTS TEXAS STATE FOR WAC SERIES

April 3, 2013
BASEBALL DROPS 8-4 DECISION TO SAN FRANCISCO

April 2, 2013
BASEBALL EARNS SECOND WIN OVER UC DAVIS THIS SEASON

March 30, 2013
OFFENSE ERUPTS IN 11-7 BASEBALL VICTORY OVER DALLAS BAPTIST

March 29, 2013
DALLAS BAPTIST PULLS AWAY LATE FOR 6-3 WIN OVER BASEBALL

March 28, 2013
BASEBALL DROPS FIRST GAME OF SERIES AT DALLAS BAPTIST

March 25, 2013
BASEBALL MEETS FRESNO STATE AT RALEY FIELD

March 22, 2013
BASEBALL DROPS FIRST GAME OF SERIES TO CSU BAKERSFIELD, 4-2

March 19, 2013
BASEBALL RALLIES FOR 9-7 WIN AT SAINT MARY'S

March 17, 2013
BASEBALL BLASTS UCSB IN 13-7 VICTORY

March 16, 2013
BASEBALL CLIPPED LATE AT UC SANTA BARBARA

March 15, 2013
BASEBALL BLANKED IN UCSB SERIES OPENER

March 14, 2013
BASEBALL VISITS UC SANTA BARBARA THIS WEEKEND

March 11, 2013
BASEBALL FIVE-GAME TICKET PLAN AVAILABLE

March 9, 2013
CSUN'S BIG INNING DOOMS BASEBALL IN 5-3 LOSS

March 5, 2013
BASEBALL CRUSHES RIVAL UC DAVIS, 14-0

February 28, 2013
BASEBALL HOSTS UTAH VALLEY THIS WEEKEND

February 26, 2013
PITCHING LEADS BASEBALL TO 4-1 WIN VS. NEVADA

February 25, 2013
BASEBALL HOSTS NEVADA ON TUESDAY

February 24, 2013
BASEBALL SPLITS SERIES WITH 7-4 WIN OVER UC RIVERSIDE IN FINALE

February 23, 2013
BASEBALL SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER WITH HIGHLANDERS

February 22, 2013
BASEBALL DROPS HOME OPENER, 2-1, TO UC RIVERSIDE

February 17, 2013
BASEBALL BLASTS TWO HOME RUNS BUT DROPS RUBBER MATCH AT TEXAS

February 16, 2013
LEITAO'S GEM LEADS BASEBALL TO WIN AT TEXAS

February 15, 2013
BASEBALL’S FURIOUS RALLY COMES UP JUST SHORT IN SEASON OPENER AT TEXAS

February 11, 2013
BASEBALL OPENS 2013 SEASON AT TEXAS

February 4, 2013
Last Chance for Baseball Season Tickets

December 14, 2012
Baseball Adds Four in Early Signing Peroid

December 8, 2012
Baseball Announces Details for Third Annual Diamond Dinner

August 13, 2012
Nichols Earns Summer League Honor