MESA, Ariz.—NM State defeated CSU Bakersfield 11-6 in the second elimination game of the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament Friday afternoon at Hohokam Stadium.

WAC MVP Daniel Johnson singled on the first Andrew Hansen pitch of the game to begin the game. Greg Popylisen followed with a single to left. Austin Botello loaded the bases with a single to center. Dan Hetzel, the league leader in RBI's, singled up the middle to score two. A CSUB error advanced Botello to third. L.J. Hatch' sac fly plated Botello for a 3-0 lead. A second 'Runner error put Hetzel at second. Troy Steine's single scored Hetzel. Mason Fishbeck flew out to center. Stine was thrown out at second attempting to advance on a Hansen wild pitch for the final out.

Dustin Frailey walked to begin the CSUB first and stole his school record 22nd base. After failing behind in the count 1-2 to Kyle Bradish, Mahlik Jones worked out a walk. David Metzgar put down a successful sacrifice bunt to put Frailey and Jones into scoring position. Max Carter struck out on 3-2 Bradish pitch. Chance Gusbeth swung at the first Bradish pitch he saw and popped out to end the inning.

Joseph Koerper struck out to begin the NM State (33-22) second, but the third strike was in the dirt. CSUB catcher Jake Ortega's attempt to throw the ball down to first was high, allowing Koerper to reach base. He moved up 90 feet on a Brent Sakurai sacrifice bunt. Johnson grounded out to short before Popylisen doubled down the left field line to score Koerper. Botello drove in Popylisen with a single to right. A Hetzel 5-4 fielder's choice proved to be the third out.

Jake Ortega walked to open the CSUB third. With the count 1-2 on Frailey, Bradish was called for a balk, allowing Ortega to go to second. A Bradish wild pitch pushed Ortega to third. Frailey triple was the first Roadrunner hit and scored Ortega. Jones drove in Frailey with a single up the middle.  Metzgar was hit in the helmet by a Bradish pitch before Carter struck out for the second time. Bradish's second wild pitch of the game advanced the baserunners into scoring position. After Gusbeth would pop out to short for the second time, Jones scored on the third Bradish wild pitch. Ryan Grotjohn walked. With runners on the corners, Cody White was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The third wild pitch of the inning scored Metzgar. Christian Deaton struck out to end the inning.

Sakurai's double to lead off the fourth chased Hansen in favor of AJ Monarrez. Monarrez faced Johnson who plated Sakurai with a single to left. Monarrez struck out Popylisen, but Johnson headed to second on a wild pitch that occurred on the third strike. Botello grounded out to second as Johnson made it to third. Hetzel's single scored Johnson for the eighth NM State run. Monarrez was called for a balk to put Hetzel in scoring position. Hatch would fly out to put the Roadrunners down by four.

Ortega singled to get CSUB going in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Jones singled to center. Metzgar beat out a potential double play ball at third to keep the inning alive for Carter. Metzgar stole second to put both baserunners in scoring position. Carter walked to load the bases. CSUB could not take advantage of the tying run at the plate as Gusbeth fouled out to third base. 

After Monarrez recorded the first 1-2-3 inning for the Roadrunners in the top of the fifth, Grotjohn led off the bottom of the frame with a single. White was hit by a pitch for the second time. The Aggies went to lefty Steven Butts to relieve Bradish. The Roadrunners went to a right handed hitting pinch-hitter in Sergio Robles to counter the move. Robles was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ortega was scheduled to bat, but the left handed hitting Ortega was pinch hit for by Drew Seelman. Seelman grounded into a 6-3 double play as Grotjohn scored. Frailey's grounder to third was picked up by a diving Stine who threw onto first for the third out.

Jones' third hit of the game, a single to left, began the CSUB sixth. With one out, Carter tallied only his fourth hit since the start of the Chicago State (22 at-bats) in mid-May. Gusbeth again came to the plate as the tying run. Gusbeth failed to advance the runners with his fly ball to center that turned into the second out. CSUB would strand their ninth and 10th baserunners of the game when Grotjohn grounded out to first.

Jason Bush extended the NMSU lead to 10-5 with a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the seventh. The Aggies scored their final run in the top of the ninth when Hatch doubled in Botello.  CSUB loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth for Frailey. Frailey walked to pick up the RBI. The bases remained loaded for Jones as NM State closer Joe Galindo came on to try and close the game. On his first pitch, Jones flew out to right.

The top five batters in the NMSU lineup recorded at least two hits, led by Popylisen who was a home run shy of the cycle. Popylisen went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Hetzel drove in three runs. Jones went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

Frailey was 2-for-4 with two RBI's and a run scored. He broke the WAC Tournament record for most walks in a tournament with two against the Aggies. Frailey walked seven times during his tournament say, breaking the old mark of six held by four others.

CSUB finishes the 2016 season with a 19-37 record.

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