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.
BASEBALL CRUSHES NEW MEXICO STATE, 16-4, IN RUN RULE GAME
Posted: Apr 13, 2013
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