Aggies fall to Hilltoppers in five-inning affair

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- You never know what to expect when you walk out onto the softball field. Following a nine-inning bout on Friday and a 9-0 victory for the home team on Saturday, NM State (11-11, 1-2 CUSA) returned for an early afternoon contest with Western Kentucky (15-7, 2-1 CUSA). After falling behind early, the Aggie bats could never recover ultimately dropping an 11-0 decision in five innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After throwing a complete game shutout on Saturday night, Emily Dix returned to the circle for the Aggies on Sunday. Western Kentucky appeared to have learned something from Saturday as they were able to record three hits which turned into four runs in the top half of the first inning to jump out to the early lead.

Jaileen Mancha entered the game in the second inning and with the help of a unique double play, she was able to get out of the inning without allowing a run. Mancha wasn't as efficient in the third inning as WKU extended its lead to six runs while Taylor Sanders recorded her second home run of the afternoon.

With the Aggie offense still struggling to get going, WKU pushed its lead to eight runs in the top of the fourth inning. After being unable to record a hit in the second and third inning, Devin Elam finally gave the Aggies a base runner as she hit a single to center field. Unfortunately, this would be one of the last two Aggie hits of the game. Meanwhile, the Hilltoppers continued their offensive outburst – adding three additional runs before the game's end.

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• The Aggies' three hits on Sunday marked the fewest during the three-game series with the Hilltoppers. This included just one hit from the starting lineup.
• This also marks the eighth consecutive game that the Aggies did not play a seven-inning game. In these contests, NM State is 2-6.

UP NEXT
The Aggies will make their first road trek in conference action, taking on the Sam Houston Bearkats in a three-game series starting Friday, Mar. 22. Fans can follow along with the action through StatBroadcast. For complete coverage of NM State Softball during the 2024 season, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of the Aggies – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Softball), Twitter (@NMStateSoftball) and Instagram (@NMStateSoftball).