LAS CRUCES, N.M. - It was a grand slam day at Presley Askew Field, Sunday, March 14, as four grand slams were hit between New Mexico State and Georgia State. The Panther would defeat the Aggies 30-24. Georgia State smacked three grand slams on the day while NM State recorded one base clearing dinger. Twelve home runs in all were hit in the game, including three by the Aggies in the bottom of the ninth.
The Aggies fall to 11-9 on the season, while Georgia State improves to 8-7 on the year.
The Aggies were led by Ryan Aguayo at the plate, as he tallied six runs on six hits and seven RBI, including a grand slam and a solo home run. Ben Harty recorded one run on three hits and eight RBI, while Parker Hipp scored two runs on two hits and two RBI. The Panthers recorded six home runs in the game and 30 hits.
Scott Coffman took the loss for the Aggies after going two-thirds of an inning, allowing seven runs on five hits, while striking out one batter. Coffman falls to 2-2 on the season.
The Panthers opened the game by loading the bases with two outs. Brandon Williams would hit an infield single to the short stop to score the runner from third, as Georgia State took an early 1-0 lead.
The Aggies would load the bases with no outs in their half of the inning. Ben Harty stepped to the plate and doubled off the center field wall on the first pitch he saw, clearing the bases and giving the Aggies a 3-1 lead. Kyle Decater then walked to put runners on first and second still with no outs. A line out to the short stop by Joel Cardinal and a fly out to center field by Leo Aguirre gave the Aggies two outs with runners on first and second. Zac Fisher would fly out to left field to end the inning, but not before NM State took the lead 3-1.
Georgia State recorded their second infield hit of the game to start the second inning. NM State recorded two quick outs on fly outs to center field. The Aggies would walk the fourth batter of the inning to put runners at first and second but Justin Cooper forced the Panthers next batter to pop up to right field to end the Georgia State threat.
Parker Hipp led off the bottom of the second with a walk and then stole second. Two batters later, Ryan Aguayo hit a double down the right field line, allowing Hipp to score from second, as NM State took a 4-1 lead with one out. Sodders would reach first on an error and advance to second on a misplay by the Panthers. Aguayo would advance to third. Harty then hit a single to center, scoring Aguayo and Sodders, pushing the Aggies' lead to 6-1. Harty would advance to second on a Cardinal single to right field. Aguirre would walk to load the bases with two outs, as Fisher stepped to the plate. Fisher would strike out swinging to end the inning, as NM State held a 6-1 lead after two complete innings.
A single and a double to start the third inning for the Panthers put runners on second and third. Cooper would strike out the next batter but then hit the next two Panthers, walking in a run. The bases remained loaded with one out as GSU cut the NM State lead to 6-2. The Panthers Carl Moniz then hit a bomb to center field to clear the bases, tying the game at six all. GSU quickly put runners on second and third with two down. A double to the center field wall would score two more for the Panthers. Georgia State would put together a seven run top of the third, taking an 8-6 lead on the Aggies.
With two outs in the bottom of the third, Aguayo doubled to center field. Sodders then walked to put runners at first and second. Aguayo advanced to third on a pass ball. A wild pitch by the Panthers pitcher allowed Aguayo to score from third and Sodders to advance to second. The next two batters for the Aggies would walk, loading the bases with two outs. Wade Reynoso would pinch hit for Cardinal but struck out swinging to end the Aggies' threat, as Georgia held on to an 8-7 lead with three innings played.
Georgia State would threaten to add to its lead in the top of the fourth but the Aggies' defense buckled down and got three quick outs to stop the threat. The Panthers maintained an 8-7 lead after three and a half.
Aguirre led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk, followed by a Fisher double to put runners at second and third. Hipp then tied the game at 8-8 with a single to left field, scoring Aguirre from third base. Fisher advanced to third to put runners at the corners with no outs. The Panthers second pass ball of the game allowed Fisher to score from third and Hipp advanced to second as the Aggies took the lead back at 9-8. Hipp then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Shaver then singled to left field but Hipp did not advance to home. The Aggies had runners at the corners for the second time in the inning. Aguayo then singled to center to score Hip from third. Sodders singled to center, allowing Shaver to score from second, pushing the NM State lead to 11-8 with no outs. Aguayo and Sodders advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, the third of the day for the Panthers. Harty then hit his eighth homerun of the season to clear the bases, giving the Aggies a 14-8 lead. With two outs and runners on first and third, Hipp hit a single to left to score Aguirre from third pushing the lead to 15-8. The Aggies would load the bases again but were unable to push anymore runs across home plate but not before recording eight runs on eight hits in the inning.
The Panthers would score eight runs in the top of the fifth inning taking the lead at 16-15. Georgia State's eight run inning was highlighted by a three run home run by Shane Hammond and a two run home run by Jonathan Kolowich.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, J.P. Willner doubled to left center field. Reynoso then walked to put runners on first and second. Aguirre would then strike out swinging to end the inning and the Aggies' threat. Georgia State held on to the one run lead at 16-15 after five innings.
The Panther would load the bases with no outs to start the top of the sixth. A ground out double play would allow the runner from third to score, pushing the Panthers lead to 17-15. Relief pitcher Daniel Simon would get the next batter to strike out looking to end the inning.
The Aggies would load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Aguayo then stepped to the plate and cracked a grand slam, clearing the bases, giving the Aggies a 19-17 lead. It was Aguayo's seventh home run of the season. The Aggies' next three batters would go down in order, as NM State took the lead back off of Aguayo's grand slam.
The Panthers got a single and two batters hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out in the top of the seventh. Bradley Logan then hit a grand slam to give the Panthers a 21-19 lead. The Aggies' would sit down the next three GSU batters but not before giving up the lead to the Panthers, 21-19.
NM State put runners on all the bags in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs. Aguayo would then line out to the second baseman to end the inning, as Georgia State continued to lead 21-19 after seven innings.
With the bases loaded, the Panthers hit to straight singles to drive in two runs, extending their lead to 23-19, with no outs in the top of the eighth inning. Georgia State then hit its third grand slam of the game to clear the bases and take a 27-19 lead. Georgia State would add one more run in the inning to take a 28-19 lead after seven and a half.
The Aggies would go down in order in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Georgia State continued to lead 28-19 after eight full innings of play.
Georgia State continued to pour it on the Aggies in the top of the ninth as Joey Wood belted a two run home run, giving the Panthers a 30-19 lead going in the bottom of the ninth.
Jared Jordan led off the Aggies' half of the ninth inning with a single shot to right field, his second of the season, cutting the Panthers to 30-20. Chase Perkins stepped to the plate with one on and one out and hit his seventh home run of the season to pull within eight runs at 30-22. Aguayo then hit his second home run of the game, his eighth of the year, bring the score to 30-23 with two outs. Sodders then cracked a solo shot to right center for his ninth of the season. The Aggies would be unable to mount a comeback, falling to the Panthers, 30-24.
The Aggies will be back in action on March 20-21, as they travel to Santa Barbara, Calif., to face UC-Santa Barbara.
Courtesy: Richard Chavez
