ALBUQUERQUE (April 11, 2025) – Washington State put the tying run on second base in the ninth inning but New Mexico held on for a 10-9 win in the series-opener at Santa Ana Star Field Friday evening.
 
WSU, playing in Albuquerque for the first time in program history, saw Jonah Shull double to right-centerfield with one out in the ninth inning but UNM turned away the rally with a lineout to right field and nice defensive play up the middle by the second basemen.
 
Five Cougars recorded multiple hits led by Max Hartman who posted his fifth four-hit game of the season. Will Cresswell and Gavin Roy each had three hits highlighted by Roy's grand slam while Shull and Kyler Northrop each had two hits. Roy's slam in the fifth built WSU an 8-3 lead but UNM answered with four in their half of the fifth and took the lead with three runs in the sixth. The Lobos took advantage of six Cougar walks while WSU combined to leave 10 runners on base.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
New Mexico used four softly hit singles to push a pair of runs across in the first inning before the Cougars answered in the second inning. Cresswell pulled an RBI-double just inside the third base bag and down the left field line, Ricco Longo followed with a run-scoring sacrifice fly to left and Northrop gave the Cougars the lead with a two-our RBI-single to right field.
 
In the fifth, Hartman beat out an infield single to first base, Luke Thiele singled through the left side and Johnstone walked before Roy launched a 1-1 pitch to left-centerfield for a grand slam and an 8-3 lead. UNM came right back with four runs in their half of the frame to keep it a one-run game.
 
In the sixth, WSU loaded the bases with two outs before Cresswell drove a ball deep to left-centerfield that the UNM leftfielder made a nice running catch for the third out. In the bottom half, UNM took the lead with three two-out runs for a 10-8 advantage.
 
Northrop made it a one-run game with a two-out RBI-single to right field in the seventh inning.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Max Hartman singled in the 1^st to extend his hitting streak to 7 games
Gavin Roy singled in the 2^nd to extend on-base streak to 22 games and hitting streak to 8 games
Roy hit WSU's first grand slam since Jonah Advincula against UC Riverside the opening week of the 2023 season
Jake Robinson retired the only batter he faced with a flyout in the 7^th
Rylan Haider worked a scoreless frame
Jake Tedesco retired the only batter he faced to end the 8^th
 
NEXT UP
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m. (MT) / 1 p.m. (PT).