LAS CRUCES, N.M. ? New Mexico State hit four home runs, including a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Aggies rallied past the University of New Orleans baseball team 12-11 on Friday in the season opener for both teams at Presley Askew Field.
Trailing 11-8 in the seventh, NMSU's Joseph Scaperotta hit a grand slam off UNO junior right-hander Matt Brown (0-1) to hand NMSU (1-0) its sixth win in the last eight meetings between the schools.
Colin Crouthamel went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs for NMSU, and Marcus Quade added three RBIs. Tyler Sturdevant (1-0) picked up the win in relief after tossing four innings and allowing just one run.
The Aggies won despite committing five errors.
Nick Schwaner led the Privateers (0-1) with three hits, including a two-run home run during a seven-run fifth inning. Joey Butler, Josh Vander Hey and Mark McGonigle each added two hits for UNO, which had 12 hits overall.
The Aggies did hold Johnny Giavotella and T.J. Baxter to a combined 1-for-9 afternoon, though Baxter did increase his school record on-base streak to 58 games.
UNO had seven stolen bases.
The Privateers seemed in command after scoring runs in three straight innings to take an 11-7 lead to the bottom of the seventh. But NMSU got two singles and a walk to start the frame before Quade drew a bases loaded walk to make it 11-8.
Scaperotta then sent a 3-1 pitch from Brown over the left-field wall to cap the NMSU rally.
Schwaner and Baxter got back-to-back singles to start the ninth inning. With runners on second and third and one out, though, Sturdevant struck out Butler and got Vander Hey to fly out to center to end it.
The two teams will continue the series at 3:05 p.m. CT on Saturday. UNO will start senior right-hander Stephen Whalen, while the Aggies will start right-hander Heath Goin.
