Written by: NMSU Athletic Dept.
Also See: bleedCrimson.net Weekly Coach Ward Interview :: 02/25/08
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The New Mexico State baseball team held off Ball State to win 8-7 at Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces, N.M. Friday, Feb. 29.
The Aggies were able to put up enough runs and get enough pitching to hold off a Cardinal comeback and start the season 3-1. Ball State falls to 2-3 early on the season and fall behind in the four game series against the Aggies. Head coach Rocky Ward was happy with his pitching staff and glad his team hit the ball the way they did.
"We were able to work their pitchers and forced them to use a lot of their bullpen in the first game of the series," Ward said. "We had a pretty good offensive day and it's a good thing that five of our hits were extra-base hits."
Dillon Smith (El Paso, Eastwood HS) got the start on a game time decision, because Sebastien Vendette (Laval, Quebec), who was supposed to start for the Aggies on the mound was sick. Smith worked 5 2/3 innings, struck out one batter and gave up only three earned runs.
However, junior Kent Williamson (Topeka, Kansas) was credited with his first win of the year as Ball State tied the game at six while he was on the mound. Junior Jeremy Joustra (Sparks, Wash.) earned his first save of the year after he came in at the top of the ninth to close out the game.
The Aggies were the first to get on the board and take a 2-0 lead after the two innings. Junior Richard Stout (Boise, Idaho) brought in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored junior second baseman Bryan Marquez, who got on with a single to left center.
Ball Sate scored a run in the third and fourth innings to even the score at two, but NMSU added two more runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth on a Marcos Rosales (Gilbert, Ariz.) ground out to second, which brought in senior catcher Joe Leghorn (Victoria, B.C.). The other run crossed the plate when senior Joseph Scaperotta (San Diego, Calif.) doubled to centerfield to bring in fellow senior Marcus Quade (Littleton, Colo.).
A highlight for the enthusiastic Aggie fans came in the bottom of the fifth as junior designated hitter Colin Crouthamel (Olympia, Wash.) hit a blast over the left field wall to extend the lead to 5-3.
The Cardinals hit home runs in the sixth and eighth innings, but that would not be enough as the Aggies scored a run in the sixth and two in the eighth.
The four game series will continue with a double-header at Presley Askew Field, Saturday, March 1. The first game is scheduled to start at 2:05 p.m., while game two will begin approximately 30 minutes after game one concludes.
