The Wildcats edged the Aggies, 8-7, in what was a constant back-and-forth battle, all night long.
In Wednesday’s wild one-game set, two Arizona errors and two singles resulted in two early runs by NMSU, in the top of the first inning.
After one, the Aggies were up, 2-0.
“I thought (Arizona starter) Kevin Ginkel did a really nice job, and we did not help him at all in the first inning,” Arizona head coach Jay Johnson said.
In the very next frame, NMSU packed the bases with two away and pushed across another run on a wild pitch, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Greg Popylisen struck out swinging to end the side, but the Wildcats found themselves down quickly.
“Honestly, I don’t think we came out ready to play,” Arizona second baseman J.J. Matijevic said. “Our defense was struggling, and we had some pretty bad at-bats at the beginning of the game.”
Wildcats catcher Ryan Haug opened the bottom of the third with a basehit through shortstop. A Justin Behnke base-on-balls and Cody Ramer single to left setup a bases loaded situation for Arizona with no one out.
Zach Gibbons then delivered a two-run RBI groundball single, passed a diving Trey Stine at third base. This closed NMSU’s winning margin, 3-2.
A Bobby Dalbec flyout, Ryan Aguilar strikeout and Matijevic groundout halted the bleeding for the Aggies.
In the top of the fourth, Mason Fishback led off with a single and was bunted over to second.
Matt Hartman then relieved Ginkel, who went 3 1/3 innings on 3 runs (0 earned), 4 hits, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts.
Hartman invoked back-to-back strikeouts to end NMSU’s threat and keep it a one-run ballgame.
“That was huge,” Johnson said. “Chasing three (runs) is a lot easier than chasing five, so that was a good job by Matt.”
The Wildcats claimed the lead for the first time in the game in the bottom of the fourth. Down by one, they tied the contest on a Behnke single that deflected off of the pitcher for an infield RBI.
After evening things at three runs apiece, Ramer walked with two outs. After the base on balls, Gibbons gave Arizona the lead with an opposite-field single to the right side on a payoff pitch, putting the Wildcats up, 4-3.
Keeping the inning alive, Dalbec drew a walk to load the bases. But Aguilar could not capitalize and grounded out to finish the frame.
In the top of the fifth, the Aggies fought back. They responded with a game-tying RBI single up the middle by Austin Botello, leveling the score once again.
In a 4-4 contest, the Wildcats stole back the lead from NMSU. Matijevic doubled to deep center, and Kevin Lewis was hit by a pitch. Alfonso Rivas III walked to pack the sacks with no outs. A wild pitch scored the go-ahead run for the home team. Back-to-back strikeouts and a Ramer groundout ended the threat.
Through five innings, Arizona clung to a 5-4 lead.
After a scoreless sixth by both clubs, NMSU’s Botello tied the game on one swing with a solo homerun to right field in the seventh inning. The Aggie junior went 3-for-5 with two RBI’s on the night.
Following Botello’s long ball, the Aggies loaded the bases for Cameron Haskins, who delivered a clutch two-out RBI single up the middle and helped his team regain the lead, 7-5.
“The lead changes were frustrating, especially when we weren’t doing what we were supposed to be doing,” Matijevic said. “But it happens. So you just gotta stay positive, keep your confidence and do what you have to do, when the times comes to get the ‘W’.”
Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Matijevic helped his team get within a run by sending a 1-0 fastball over the homerun line in centerfield. It was his second homer of the season.
In the same inning, the Wildcats had runners at the corners with two outs. Ramer hit a hot shot to first base, but it was well-fielded by Joseph Koerper, who took the ball to the bag for the final out of the frame.
“The momentum swung in our favor in the seventh inning,” Johnson said. “Matijevic’s homerun put us right there, close to tying it. And then Ramer put a good swing on (the ball), but the guy made a good play. So in that seventh inning, I think the whole thing turned, which was great.”
Still trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth, the heart of Arizona’s batting order put together three consecutive hits, resulting in two runs, to regain the lead. Matijevic drove in the ultimate winning run on a single through the right side of the infield.
Arizona’s two-run inning was the third and final lead change of the night, as the Aggies went down in order in the ninth.
The victory went to the Wildcats on Wednesday, 8-7.
“Good toughness by the team tonight,” Johnson said. “We did not play well at the beginning of this game, and I was very disappointed about that. But they showed good toughness. It’s a really good growth step for our guys to not play well at the start, and then win against a first place team.”
The 3-hour and 50-minute contest utilized 13 pitchers: seven for Arizona, and six for NMSU. Rivas, a two-way player, recorded the first win of his career as a pitcher. He went 1-for-4 at the plate.
With the win, the Wildcats improved to 23-14. The Aggies dropped to 21-15.
Arizona heads to Berkeley, Calif. for a three-game series against the University of California-Berkeley. They are scheduled to faceoff for Game 1 at 7 p.m. MST on Friday, April 22 at Evans Diamond.
