NMSU softball drops regional opener
UNM baseball falls to UC Davis to open season’s final series
TEMPE, Ariz. — The New Mexico State softball team was no-hit for six innings before staging a late rally that fell short in 2-0 loss to Arizona State Friday in the Tempe Regional of the NCAA Division I Tournament.
The Aggies got two hits in the seventh and loaded the bases with one out but the game ended on an unassisted double play to third base.
The double-elimination regional continues today with Mississippi playing Arizona State at 3 p.m. and NMSU (29-23) taking on Long Beach State in an elimination game at 5:30 p.m.
The winner of the elimination game will plat the loser of the Mississippi-Arizona State game at 8 p.m. with the loser being eliminated and the winner advancing to Sunday’s regional title game.
BASEBALL: UC Davis scored four runs in the second and four in the fourth, and then put it away late after UNM made a run at it as the Aggies took the opening game of season’s final three-game set 13-8 over New Mexico. The series continues today with the Lobos honoring departing seniors Daniel Herrera, James Harrington and Danny Collier.
Down 10-5 in the bottom of the seventh, the Lobos loaded the bases with no outs but Daniel Zakosek struck out, and then pinch hitter Chris Dunn did the same. Herrera then lined out to center to end the threat.
Caleb Henderson and Nick Gonzales hit home runs and Jonathan Groff (10-2) struck out seven in 6⅔ innings to help New Mexico State (36-18, 17-6) to a 4-2 win over UT Rio Grande Valley Grande Valley (22-31, 7-16 WAC) Friday.
Right-hander Kyle Bradish set a New Mexico State single-season record for strikeouts in the Aggies’ win Thursday.
Bradish (7-3) struck out a single-game career-high 12 batters over six innings of the eight-inning game to get to 116 for the year. The previous single-season record of 107 strikeouts was set in 1991 by Albert Montoya.
The good press keeps piling up for Sandia Prep alumnus Mikey Gangwish, a junior catcher at Colorado School of Mines.
For the second time in three days, Gangwish has been named player of the year in the NCAA Division II South Central Region — this time by the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association .
Over 52 games coming into Friday, Gangwish was hitting .374 with 67 runs and 78 RBIs while slugging .823 with 19 doubles, two triples and 22 home runs. Gangwish also owns the Mines’ single-season records for home runs, RBIs and total bases.
Colorado School of Mines (37-16) defeated Texas A&M Kingsville 9-7 on Friday in the winner’s bracket of South Central Regional tournament play in Canyon, Texas.
Eastern New Mexico infielder Alex DeLaCruz was awarded first-team All-South Central Region on Friday by the D2CCA as well.