The weather was ugly for ASU baseball's game in New Mexico on Tuesday, and frankly, so was their play.
After battling through two separate delays, the No. 12 Sun Devils (30-18) never managed to find any rhythm in their 9-6 loss at New Mexico (28-23).
The game was moved from its 5 p.m. Arizona time start to 2 p.m. due to weather concerns, but couldn't seem to avoid the dreadful conditions.
The first of two major delays came with a runner on and nobody out in the fourth, when a lightning strike brought with it a 46-minute delay. It was the second time this season that ASU has had a game delayed, with the first being caused by a lack of light at UNLV.
The second delay was a frightening one, as ASU sophomore right-hander Eder Erives took a line drive from New Mexico freshman catcher Scottie Graham to the face during the fifth inning. Erives went down grabbing at this cheek, but remained conscious and was able to move all of his extremities.
ASU's product on the field mirrored the poor weather early on, as freshman right-hander Ryan Hingst blew an early 1-0 lead to last just one inning. Hingst threw just 37 pitches, giving up four runs on four hits before being removed for freshman left-hander Tucker Baca.
The first of the Lobos' runs came after Hingst's pitch hit the dirt and scooted past sophomore catcher Brian Serven, who was unable to corral it before the runner tied the game 1-1.
New Mexico's offense wasn't done in the opening inning, capitalizing on a two-RBI single from sophomore first baseman Jack Zoellner to extend the lead to 3-1.
Hingst returned to the mound to open the second inning, but gave up a leadoff double and a bunt single before being removed from the game.
Junior second baseman Sam Haggerty extended the early New Mexico lead to 4-1 with an RBI single on the very next at-bat. Haggerty hit 4-for-5 with two RBIs on the ballgame.
The Lobos tacked on an insurance run on an RBI single from senior outfielder Aaron Siple, extending the lead to 5-1 in the fourth inning.
ASU tried digging into the lead in the next half-inning, as redshirt senior Trever Allen scored following a RBI single off the bat of junior outfielder Johnny Sewald that cut the lead to 5-2.
After Erives was forced to leave the ballgame on a cart, Haggerty executed a squeeze play on the very next pitch to open the lead back up to 6-2 after five innings.
After both teams exchanged runs in the seventh inning, New Mexico appeared to put the game away for good with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, including another run off a wild pitch from junior right-hander David Graybill.
ASU finally showed some life in the final frame, loading the bases with nobody out and putting three runs on the board before finally getting shut down to end the ballgame.
The Sun Devils failed to get a rhythm offensively the entire game, batting just 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-10 with two outs for the game.
ASU hosts Washington State at home for its final three-game home series of the season. The series starts Thursday night at 7 p.m.
Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 on Twitter.
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