Box Score

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Texas State fell in the team's Western Athletic Conference opener, 12-6, to New Mexico State Friday night. The loss drops the Bobcats to 7-14 on the season while NMSU improves to 13-10.
 
First baseman Austin O'Neal led the team in hitting with a 3-for-5 night at the plate, scoring one run. Outfielder Kevin Sah, meanwhile, led in RBI hitting as the only Bobcat with more than one RBI on the night, finishing with two on a 2-for-5 night. Third baseman Nick Smelser also picked up an RBI and scored a run as he went 2-for-4, and four other Bobcats each tallied a hit.
 
Texas State put up 11 hits on the board, nine of which came off New Mexico State starter Adam Mott. But the Aggies had 16 hits, splitting seven each off starter Taylor Black and Mitchell Pitts. New Mexico State scored in every inning they went to bat except the first and eighth.
 
Black finished with 3.1 innings pitches, five runs, four earned, two walks and four strikeouts. Pitts also struck out four while giving up six runs, five earned in 2.2 innings. Covey Morrow and Austen Williams also made appearances, combining for two innings, two hits, one run, one walk and two strikeouts.
 
The Bobcats scored four runs on four hits in the second inning to snag an early lead. O'Neal started the inning with a double to the center field warning track and moved to third on a balk by New Mexico State pitcher Adam Mott. Brooks Orton walked behind O'Neal and Tyler Pearson brought O'Neal home with a single to shallow right field.
 
Two batters later, Texas State had the bases loaded with Pearson at third, Smelser at second and Morgan Mickan at first after a walk. With the bases loaded, Sah stepped into the moment with a single to right field to plate Pearson and Smelser. Mickan added one more run on another Mott balk.
 
New Mexico State countered with a single run in the bottom of the inning thanks in large part to two Texas State errors. After a scoreless third for the Bobcats, in which Texas State left the bases loaded, the Aggies added another run. The leadoff hitter singled and New Mexico State used the rest of the inning to work him around.
 
The Aggies loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth for the Western Athletic Conference's leading hitter, Tanner Rust. Rust singled to right field for two RBI, tying the game. Next, third baseman Robert Lecount sent a single to deep left field for two more NMSU runs to put the Aggies up, 6-4.
 
New Mexico State stacked two four-run innings together with another one in the fifth. The Aggies used four singles and an error to increase the NMSU lead to 10-4.
 
Texas State responded with a run in the top of the sixth. Pearson reached on an error to start the inning, and Smelser followed with a single up the middle. Colby Targun made it consecutive singles with one through the left side to load the bases for the Bobcats. Garrett Mattlage picked up the first Texas State RBI in four innings when he benefitted from Mott's fifth walk of the night.
 
The Aggies were able to erase that run, however, with one of their own in the bottom of the inning. With two away, Kyle Phillips knocked a double to right field to score Quinnton Mack and push the NMSU lead back to six runs, 11-5.
 
Cody Lovejoy singled in the seventh and moved his way to third on wild pitches. Smelser notched an RBI when he sent the ball up the middle to score Lovejoy and close the gap to 11-6. The Aggies matched Texas State with a run in the bottom of the inning and both teams went scoreless in the eighth. The Bobcats put one base runner on in the ninth but it wouldn't be enough.
 
The teams will meet up again at 7:05 p.m. CST Saturday for the second game of the three-game series. For Texas State, it will be Scott Grist on the mound while undefeated lefty Ryan Beck will start for the Aggies.