Senior Arlo Evasick (Port Ludlow, Wash.) pitched the first 6 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, three walks, and one unearned run while striking out three batters. Bryan Dalton (Vancouver, Wash.) came on in relief, giving up just one hit in 2 2/3 innings of work with one strikeout to help Seattle U pick up its first victory of the series.
The Redhawks did all of their damage in the second inning, as Josh Kutz (Seattle, Wash.) drew a one-out walk and Nick Latta (Tacoma, Wash.) followed with a single. Marcelino Morales (Pasco, Wash.) dropped a bunt down the third base line, and Zachary Voight rushed his throw in an attempt to get the speedy Morales, sending it into the right-field foul territory and allowing Kutz and Latta to come around and score. Seeing Morales heading to third base, right fielder Bryan Karraker launched a throw in that direction, but no one was covering the base, and Morales easily scored on the play.
Trent Oleszczuk (Beaverton, Ore.) continued the offensive pressure with a double into the left-center field gap and advanced to third base on a groundout by Cullen Hendrickson (Auburn, Wash.). Aggie starter Justin Cooper committed a balk that allowed Oleszczuk to score, and then he gave up a home run to Doug Kincaid (Portland, Ore.) for the Redhawks' fifth and final run of the inning.
New Mexico State (29-14) took the early lead in the first game of the day when Ryan Aguayo's sacrifice fly scored Tyler Forney in the top of the first. With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Josh Kalalau (University Place, Wash.) took a 3-1 pitch to the opposite field, hitting his fifth home run of the season over the right field wall to tie the game at 1-1.
The Aggies took the lead for good in the second inning when Wesley Starkes' double drove in Karraker. In the top of the third inning, Forney led off with a single, and Parker Hipp followed with a home run over the right field fence, his sixth of the season, to extend New Mexico State's lead to 4-1. After one more batter, Seattle U starter Max Whieldon (Trabuco Hills, Calif.) would be replaced after giving up seven hits and four runs in just 2 1/3 innings of work.
After leaving the bases loaded in the second, the Redhawks scored in the third as Kalalau walked, advanced twice on wild pitches, and scored on a double to right field by Bryndon Ecklund (Elma, Wash.). However, Seattle U would strand 11 runners on base during the seven-inning game, including two runners in the fourth inning and the bases loaded again in the fifth inning.
New Mexico State scored in every inning but the top of the fifth in game one of the doubleheader, finishing with 14 hits to go along with the 10 runs. Karraker went 3-for-3 with a walk and four runs scored, while Starkes finished the first game 3-for-4 with two runs batted in. Oleszczuk ended the day 4-for-8 with a walk and a run scored, with Kalalau going 2-for-3 in the first game and scoring both Seattle U runs.
Seattle University (17-20) will look to earn a split of the four-game series when it hosts New Mexico State one more time Saturday, April 30, beginning at 10 a.m. Live stats and live audio for the game will be available on GoSeattleU.com.