LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Diamond 'Dogs (15-9, 4-1 CUSA) saw their five-game winning streak come to a halt Saturday night after falling to New Mexico State (10-12, 2-3 CUSA), 13-10, at Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces.
 
The 23 combined runs in the game were the most Tech has been a part of since May 4, 2025, when the Bulldogs fell to WKU on the road, 22-12.
 
The 'Dogs struck first in the opening frame for the second-straight game on a three-run blast by Trey Hawsey. Cade Patterson led off with a walk before ending up on third on a base hit by Colby Lunsford, who advanced to second on a throwing error. With Hawsey up next to bat, he drove a pitch deep over the right-center wall on a 1-1 count.
 
The Aggies put up a four-spot in the home half to take the lead, beginning with the first two batters of the frame reaching on a base hit and a walk. A one-out walk loaded the bases before a base hit was ripped to center. The ball was bobbled to allow a third unearned run to score following the two lead runners coming across on the hit.
 
An RBI knock to the right-center gap plated the Aggies' fourth run to cap off the first, but Tech continued to strike tying the game in the second on an RBI knock through the left side off of Hawsey's bat.
 
The Aggies would then regain the lead in the bottom half with a second four-run frame. A pair of runners reached base with one out via hit by pitch and a walk, followed with a two-run double to the right-center wall. A walk and an RBI single gave the Aggies a 7-4 lead before increasing to a four-run gap on an RBI groundout.
 
Tech tacked on two runs in the third to cut New Mexico State's lead to two, opening the frame with a base hit from Colton Coates and Wesley Scott drawing a five-pitch walk. On an 0-1 count, Hayden Gustavson pulled a double down the left field line to score Coates. Patterson made it a 8-6 game with a sacrifice fly, allowing Scott to score from third, but the Aggies matched their two runs with an RBI knock and an RBI on a safety squeeze bunt to take a 10-6 lead into the fourth.
 
The 'Dogs scored in their fourth consecutive inning, adding two runs on a Coates two-run blast to make it a 10-8 game. Tech's pitching staff put up the first scoreless frame against NMSU in the home half, with just one baserunner allowed on a single. An errant throw was made in a pickoff attempt to first, allowing the runner to come all the way around and attempt to score, but a 9-4-3 relay cut the runner off and sent the game into the fifth.
 
Both sides were scoreless in the frame, despite the Aggies putting up a massive threat by loading the bases with no outs. Following a pitching change, a fielder's choice gunned down the third base runner at home on the force out before a pair of punchouts by Connor Nation put up a second-straight goose egg for Tech entering the sixth.
 
The Aggies added three runs to their lead in the bottom half, with two coming across on a jammed single into no man's land behind first base and another tacked on on an RBI knock up the middle.
 
Tech attempted a late rally with two runs in the eighth, with Sebastian Mexico coming around to score one on a fielding error by the Aggie second baseman followed with Coates scoring on a wild pitch, but that was all the 'Dogs could muster as New Mexico State evened the series.
 
Hawsey led the game with four RBI and tied the game high with three hits for the second consecutive night, just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle after being a home run shy of the cycle in the series opener. Colton Coates recorded the only other multi-hit performance while scoring a game-high three runs.
 
The rubber match is set for Sunday, March 22 at 11 a.m. MT/12 p.m. CT at Presley Askew Field. It will be the second rubber match Tech will enter on the season following a 6-1 win in the series finale at South Alabama.
 
Quotables
 
Head Coach Lane Burroughs:
"It was a tough night. When you get a three-spot to start the game, you're feeling good. But then you give up 10 runs in three innings, it's going to be really hard. We punched out too many times tonight. But I thought our hitters grinded all night. I thought they had good at-bats and they never gave up, and in this ballpark you're never out of the game. I thought Luke Cooley did a phenomenal job—he hadn't been on the mound in a while, and he came in and gave us two scoreless innings and a chance to win. It's hard to win a game like that. I'm disappointed in the loss, but like I said I thought our hitters grinded all night. I thought Connor Nation did an unbelievable job. He inherited a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the fifth, and he got out of it without giving up a run. The positive is our guys stayed in the ball game, had good energy and they kept grinding until the last out. The tougher team is going to win tomorrow. It's a quick turnaround—we basically play in 13 hours, so the tougher team is going to show up and win. Sunday is about toughness, and that's where you win championships. You won't go 30-0 in the league. The tougher team is going to win tomorrow, and I expect it to be the Bulldogs."
 
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