BOXSCORE: at New Mexico State

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The Northern Colorado baseball team again made things stressful for fans, surrendering two runs in the ninth, but they hung on for a 9-8 win in the first game of the series against New Mexico State on Friday evening. With the win, the Bears move to 6-8 on the season, while the Aggies lose just their second game of the year and go to 12-2.

The Bears scored their nine runs on eight hits and committed three errors. New Mexico State scored eight runs on 10 hits and tallied four errors. Freshman pitcher James Quisenberry picked up his first collegiate victory after throwing 5.2 innings, giving up just three runs on three hits, while striking out six and walking three. Senior Kevin Sandberg also got his second save of the year, pitching the ninth inning with one earned run, two hits and one strikeout.

"(Mike) Raudenbush really got us going with the home run in the first inning," said head coach Kevin Smallcomb. "Quisenberry was outstanding tonight. He kept pounding the zone and doing a great job after taking over for (Joe) Sawicki. He left the game due to tightness and I'm proud of the way Quisenberry responded. (T.J.) Berge's double to right with the bases loaded in the fifth was also a big hit for us."

Adam Hilker led off the game reaching first on an error by the shortstop and Raudenbush took advantage, hitting a home run to left field for the early 2-0 Bears lead.

Four singles and a walk for the Aggies in the bottom of the second tied the score at 2-2. NC had an immediate answer in the top of the third. Hilker singled to lead off the inning and Raudenbush walked. Both advanced one base on a sacrifice bunt by Andy Mees and moved up one more on a groundout by Sandberg for one run and a 3-2 advantage.

With one out in the bottom of the third and a runner on second, Quisenberry came on in relief. He walked the first batter, struck out the second and gave up a three-run homerun to Bryan Marquez to give New Mexico State a 5-3 lead. Quisenberry battled back to strike out the next batter to end the frame.

Neither team scored in the fourth inning but Raudenbush was hit by a pitch for him to reach base safely for the third time in the game. Mees and Hunter Nolen walked with a Sandberg strike out sandwiched between to load the bases with one out. Berge then doubled down the right field line for two RBI and he and Nolen scored on a wild pitch and error by the pitcher to give the lead back to NC, 7-5.

The Bears added one more in the seventh. Sandberg was hit by a pitch to start the inning, moved to second on a single by Nolen but was erased on a fielder's choice by Berge. With two outs, senior Erik Hegstad reached on the Aggies' third error of the night and Nolen scored.

New Mexico State closed the gap to two again off a solo home run by Ben Harty in the bottom of the seventh for the 8-6 tally on the scoreboard.

Neither team scored a run in the eighth, but NC tacked on an extra run in the top of the ninth. Berge walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Hegstad tallied a hit in his 11^th straight game, moving Berge to third. A sacrifice bunt by Tyler Borzileri went awry and Berge scored on an error by the catcher for the 9-6 score.

Sandberg moved from designated hitter to pitcher for the ninth. The Aggies scored two runs, but only one was unearned, giving the senior his second career save and the Bears their sixth victory of the year.

The Bears and Aggies continue the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 3:05 p.m. The series concludes on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m.