THE RUNDOWN
The No. 17 ranked DBU Patriots (18-8, 4-1 CUSA) took down the New Mexico State Aggies (14-13, 2-3 CUSA) Saturday night to jump to a 2-0 series lead. The Pats trailed by six heading into the seventh inning and rattled off ten runs in the final three frames to secure a comeback victory.

Nathan Humphreys opened the scoring in the top of the first with a one-out solo jack (7) over the right-center field wall. 

After a stretch of efficient outings, Patriot starter James Ellwanger ran into a bump in the road tonight, allowing a five-spot in the bottom of the first before being removed for Jerrod Jenkins in the second.

DBU trailed 6-1 heading into the third inning. Humphreys would scratch a run across with an RBI single, leaving runners on the corners for Grant Jay with nobody out. Jay would ground into a double play, but Michael Dattalo would score from third. 

Jenkins would toss a clean third and fourth before the Pats tallied two more runs in the top of the fifth, shrinking the deficit to one. Both runs came on Aggie throwing errors.

NMSU would get those two runs back in the bottom half, cashing in on an RBI single and a run-scoring sacrifice bunt.

In the top of the sixth, Keaton Grady launched his first home run of the season, a solo shot to make it 8-6.

In the bottom half, Ashton Branson allowed two home runs: a three-run and a solo homer, making it 12-6.

The seventh inning marked the beginning of the Patriot comeback. The Pats offense rattled off a five-spot in the top of the seventh, highlighted and capped by a Luke Heefner three-RBI double to bring the game within one. Grant Jay and Chayton Krauss both punched RBI singles earlier in the frame.

Athan Kroll would surrender a run in the seventh before being lifted for Zach Todd. Todd provided two scoreless innings out of the pen, holding the deficit at two and striking out three.

In the top of the ninth, the DBU bats would scratch five across the plate once again. Keaton Grady knotted the game at 13 with a two-run double to the right-center field gap before a Cody Grebeck sacrifice fly gave DBU their first lead since the top of the first, 27 runs ago. Michael Dattalo would provide the insurance in the form of a two-RBI ground rule double.

Closer Mason Peters was tasked with the ninth, and he struck out the side on 12 pitches. 

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Zach Todd and Mason Peters did not allow a run in the final three innings and combined to strike out six Aggies.
- The Patriot offense hit .467 with runners in scoring position tonight.
- DBU had six two-out RBI compared to NMSU's zero.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
29 - 29 total runs in a game is the second-highest run total that the Patriots have seen this season (27-5 W vs MTSU).
12 - Patriot pitchers stranded 12 base runners throughout tonight's game.
30 - Pitchers in tonight's game handed out 30 free passes. DBU issued 11 walks and hit five batters, while NMSU walked 12 and plunked two.

ON DECK
The Patriots and Aggies continue their weekend set following DBU's Saturday night win. Sunday's first pitch is scheduled for noon and Ryan Borberg will toe the rubber for DBU.