Early lead not enough for NM State, falls to Grand Canyon in baseball

The Basics

Game Forty-Seven
Score: No. 25 Grand Canyon 9, NM State 4
Records: NM State (18-29, 8-18 WAC); Grand Canyon (35-17; 21-5 WAC)
Location: Las Cruces, N.M. (Presley Askew Field)
 
LAS CRUCES, N.M. –  On Saturday afternoon, the NM State baseball team took an early lead over No. 25 Grand Canyon. But just as it happened on Friday night, the Lopes refused to roll over and battled back, dropping the Aggies by a score of 9-4 at Presley Askew Field.
 

An early three-run lead marked a hot start for the Aggies but it was not enough on Saturday. The Aggies struck for three runs in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Edwin Martinez-Pagani. Later in the inning, Ryan Grabosch used some small ball to push a run across with a squeeze.

 
Grand Canyon got three runs back with one swing of the bat in the third inning. The Lopes shortstop lifted a three-run home run to left field for his 11th home run of the season. GCU took the lead in the fourth inning and never gave it up.
 
Tacking on four runs in the sixth inning, the 25th ranked Lopes solidified their spot atop the WAC West. With a commanding five-run lead, GCU looked to cruise to victory in Las Cruces. The Aggies refused to go down without a fight as Tommy Tabak plated a run in the sixth with a groundout.
 
GCU pushed another run across in the seventh inning to push the lead to 9-4, where it would sit for the remainder of the game.
 
Quick Hits

• Senior Day will take place on Sunday with a pregame ceremony beginning at 11:40 a.m.
• Brendon Rodriguez, Tommy Tabak, Frank Dickson IV, and Lyle Hibbits will be recognized as they complete their athletic eligibility.
• Six different Aggies picked up hits on Sunday.
• Cade Swenson spun two perfect innings out of the bullpen on Saturday.
• NM State will look to pick up its first win over a ranked opponent since March 21, 2012.

On-Deck
NM State will conclude the 2022 home slate on Sunday against No. 25 Grand Canyon. A pregame ceremony will begin at 11:40 a.m. to honor the four NM State seniors. With the action being streamed on the WAC Digital Network and 91.5 KRUX, first pitch will be thrown at 12 p.m. MT.
 
For complete coverage of NM State baseball throughout the Aggies 2022 campaign visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Baseball), Twitter (@NMStateBaseball) and Instagram (@NMStateBaseball).