PHOENIX, Ariz. - The NM State softball team (10-13) had its best two-game stretch in the batter's box of the 2021 season in a 10-0 win against Southern Utah (4-14) in five innings and a 12-11 loss to Idaho State (6-6) in nine innings Friday afternoon at the GCU Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz. This is the first time all season the Aggies have posted double digit runs, and the first time they have posted double digit runs in back-to-back games since Feb. 22-23, 2019, against Omaha and IUPUI.

Game One
The Aggies posted its best offensive performance of the season, as they exploded for 19 hits in a 12-11 loss to Idaho State. Down 3-0, the Aggies started the scoring barrage in the fourth inning when Nikki Butler singled to score Ramsay Lopez, and Kayla Bowen homered to left field to tie the game. The Aggies kept the bats hot in the fifth inning, as Matalasi Faapito hit a two-run home run to give the Aggies the lead. NM State added three more runs off of doubles from Chloe Rivas and Kayla Bowen to take an 8-3 lead.

Idaho State added three runs of its own in the fifth and sixth innings, but RBIs from Faapito and Kendra Levesque gave the Aggies a four-run lead heading into the seventh inning. The Bengals wouldn't go away, as they added four runs in the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

Faapito led off the eighth inning to score Tanori, but the Aggies would leave the bases loaded in both the eighth and the ninth innings leaving the door open for the Bengals, and they would take advantage walking-off the Aggies in the ninth inning.

Bowen and Faapito each had a season-high four RBIs for the Aggies.

Game Two
The Aggie bats did not cool off in game two, as they posted 10 runs on nine hits in a 10-0 win against Southern Utah.

Nikki Butler started the scoring in the second inning with a two-RBI single to score Jayleen Burton and Maya Martinez. Bowen and Martinez each homered in the third inning to kickstart a seven-run inning for the Aggies. A couple of errors helped the Aggies extend its lead to 10, and Felicia De La Torre shut down the Thunderbirds to end the game in five innings.

De La Torre was phenomenal through five innings giving up just three hits and no runs while striking out nine batters. Six different Aggies recorded hits in the game with Bowen leading the way with three RBIs.

The Aggies will be back in action tomorrow at noon against Southern Utah before taking on Idaho State immediately following the first game.