NM State Drops Series Finale at Jax State

JACKSONVILLE, Alabama (KVIA) -- In the rubber match between two new CUSA members, things shifted quickly in Jax State's favor. The Gamecocks put up five runs in a bizarre fourth inning, forcing three separate Aggies to pitch around a 15-plus minute delay. With the win, Jax State improved to 17-22 and 6-6 in league games. The loss dropped the Aggies to 21-15 on the season and 7-5 in Conference USA play. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The game mirrored Saturday's affair from the jump. The Aggies' top of the order began with Desirae Spearman, who launched a home run to center field for her second consecutive leadoff shot. NM State failed to score another run the rest of the day, however, tallying five total hits on the afternoon. 

Emily Dix got out to a solid start in the circle, sitting seven of eight and 10 of the first 12 batters she faced. The senior allowed just one hit through the first three innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth. The Gamecocks got two runners in scoring position without a hit, including a hit-by-pitch and a throwing error. A wild pitch scored the first run of the inning, prompting Head Coach Kathy Rodolph to make a pitching change. 

Desirae Spearman entered the circle with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. After just two pitches, the umpires held a conversation with each coaching staff about the fundamentals of Spearman's movements. An umpire eventually left the ballpark to retrieve a rule book, and play resumed about after a delay of approximately 15 minutes. The umpires failed to find any evidence of wrongdoing from the freshman, despite the exceptionally long debate.

As the unproductive review concluded, play resumed, and Spearman remained in the circle, quickly forcing a popup. The delay appeared to have gotten to the El Paso native, though, as a Gamecock home run scored three on the next at-bat. The four-time CUSA Freshman of the Week was thus pulled for Jaileen Mancha, sending Spearman back to left field. Mancha would finish the fourth inning, allowing another run via a solo shot. The junior was replaced by a re-entering Dix after a leadoff single in the fifth inning.

In that fifth frame, the Gamecocks added a sixth and final run on a sacrifice fly. Dix retired the final four home batters of the game, striking out two. She finished the contest with four strikeouts and two earned runs across 5.1 innings of work, ultimately landing with the loss (7-9). 

In the top of the seventh, NM State showed promise early of potentially extending the affair. After the Crimson & White advanced a runner into scoring position, the game ended on another review, as did Friday's matchup. Desirae Spearman was ruled to have been out on a ground ball, which immediately prompted a challenge from the Aggie staff. The controversial call stood, sending the Aggies home with their second loss via review of the weekend. 

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• Desirae Spearman launched her second straight leadoff home run and her third bomb of the weekend. She now has 12 home runs on the season. 
• Spearman also extended her on-base streak to nine, including three home runs and five walks. The streak ended on the review that ended the game.
• The Aggies dropped their second CUSA series of the year. They also fell in two out of three to WKU at home in the first conference series of 2024. 
• NM State out-hit the Gamecocks, tallying five knocks to Jax State's four. Ultimately, a pair of errors and a wild pitch proved costly for the Crimson & White.

UP NEXT
The Aggies are set to return home and play quickly thereafter. NM State will host its second Power Five opponent of the season as Arizona comes to town for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 PM MT. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via nmstatestats.com.

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).