Meluskey and Hairston Homer Twice as New Mexico St. Defeats #25 ASU in Extras

Logo courtesy of the New Mexico State University athletics department.

The #25 Arizona State Sun Devils (28-13, 11-7 Big 12) became the fifth ranked team to lose to unranked competition in just two days, suffering a 10-9 defeat at the hands of the New Mexico State Aggies (17-22, C-USA) Wednesday night.

This one was a thriller from start to finish: it delivered with high scoring, lead changes, comebacks, extra innings, and star players doing star things. The Aggies built up a 2-0 lead in the top of the first before top 2027 MLB Draft Prospect Landon Hairston cut the lead to 2-1 with a solo shot. This home run was Hairston’s 24th of the season to date. Aggies outfielder Tommy Meluskey immediately responded with a solo shot of his own, and first baseman Chris Daniels drew a walk with the bases loaded to further extend the lead to 4-1 in the second inning.

Arizona State received a pair of RBI’s from PJ Moutzouridis and Austin Roellig in the bottom of the second. However, reliever Colton Sneddon worked the Aggies out of the bases-loaded jam while still holding the lead at 4-3. It was in the very next inning that Meluskey made his mark again, smashing another solo home run to right field and extending NMSU’s lead to 5-3. This was Meluskey’s first collegiate multi-HR game, and his bat proved to be instrumental for the Aggies.

After going down 5-3, Arizona State controlled much of the middle of the game and came back to take a 7-5 lead. The Sun Devils held New Mexico State scoreless from the third to the seventh inning, receiving solid bullpen outings from both Jaden Alba and Colby Guy to get through the middle innings. It is worth mentioning and incredibly fitting that the play ASU took their first lead on in this game was another Landon Hairston home run. After 1B Dominic Smaldino cut the Sun Devils’ deficit to 5-4 with a home run of his own in the third, Hairston went yard an inning later to take a 6-5 lead. This home run moved Hairston firmly atop the home run leaderboard after the conclusion of Wednesday’s action, surpassing Louisville’s Tague Davis.

New Mexico State’s resilience showed throughout the late innings of this ballgame; the Aggies regained the lead after a Brandon Clizbe RBI single in the 7th and some Jonatan Clough heroics in the eighth. With fellow Aggie Cole Rogers on second base, Clough drove a double to left and even the score at 7-7. Clough moved around the bases on two wild pitches, crossing home plate with 2 outs and giving his guys the lead, 8-7.

This game would only get more chaotic from there. ASU right fielder Dean Toigo led the bottom of the ninth inning off with a game-tying home run (#15 of the season) of his own, immediately putting Aggie fans on the edge of their seats. Aggie reliever Dylan Weekly calmed their nerves by retiring the next three in order, and into extras this one went. After a quiet 10th inning, it was NMSU third baseman Camden Kaufman who rose to the occasion, driving in two runs with a groundball single into center field. The Aggies ran into some trouble in the bottom of the eleventh after ASU’s Nuu Contrades doubled Toigo home to cut the lead to 10-9. This team did not fold, and Carson Timmons induced the groundout NMSU needed to secure the upset.

This is a phenomenal win for a New Mexico State team that has struggled at times throughout this season, and perhaps this win could breathe some new life into the Aggies the rest of the way. On the other hand, this marks somewhat of an alarming trend for Arizona State as they have now lost three consecutive midweek games (vs. Arizona on 4/13, & vs. UNLV on 4/8). All three of those losses occurred at home as well. The Sun Devils have an opportunity to regain their composure when they host the Baylor Bears this weekend, while New Mexico State travels to the campus of Jacksonville State for their weekend series.

Final Score: #25 Arizona State 9, New Mexico State 10 (11 inn.)

WP: Dylan Weekly (2-1)

LP: Sean Fitzpatrick (4-1)

SV: Carson Timmons (1)

TheRundownPod Player of the Game: New Mexico State OF Tommy Meluskey (3-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 1 HBP)