LAS CRUCES, N.M. – After opening the season with back-to-back victories on Friday, NM State softball looked to improve to 4-0 on Saturday. The Aggies won their third consecutive game with a 7-5 victory over Bradley before falling to Colorado State in the night cap.
 
Following Saturday's results, NM State and Colorado State both sit at 3-1 after four games at the NM State Invitational. Bradley falls to 0-4 after dropping games to both NM State and Colorado State. Bradley and Colorado State will once again meet at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.
 
GAME ONE | NM State 7 Bradley 5
 
Top 3
Bradley struck for two runs in the top of the third inning to open the scoring. Gabby Aragon made a phenomenal diving grab in left field to save extra bases, but the Braves were able to turn it into a sacrifice fly. Later in the inning, the Braves drew a bases loaded walk to push the lead to two.
 
Bottom 3
The Aggies wasted no time and plated a pair of runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame. Jessica Carreon singled up the middle to cut the lead in half before Jillian Taylor pushed the second run across on a ground out to the second baseman.
 
Fourth Inning
Back-to-back doubles from Riley Carley and Kendra Levesque sparked a four-run inning for NM State. Carley began her collegiate career on a red-hot tear, roping five doubles in two games for her first five hits. Later in the inning, Aragon lifted her first home run of the season – A two-run blast that put the Aggies ahead, 6-2.
 
Fifth Inning
Devin Elam extended NM State's lead in the fifth inning when she grounded out to the second baseman, plating Taylor. With the insurance run, NM State's lead sat at five.
 
Seventh Inning
Bradley launched a three-run home run in the seventh inning to cut NM State's lead to just two. From there, Laurali Patane struck out the next hitter before inducing a fly ball to left field to end the ball game. With the victory in the afternoon contest, NM State improved to 3-0.
 
GAME TWO | Colorado State 4, NM State 2

Third Inning
After a pitchers' duel ensued for the first two innings, the Aggies looking to be stringing together some offense. Gabby Aragon led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield before immediately swiping second base. Much like Aragon, Jayleen Burton smacked a single and proceeded to steal second to put a pair of runners in scoring position. With two away, the Aggies loaded the bases when Kaylin Jackson was hit by a pitch. Unfortunately, NM State's scoring threat was just that – A threat. The Aggies stranded three runners and went to the fourth inning deadlocked at zero.
 
Bottom 5
NM State was able to get a pair of runners on base in the fifth after Kristen Boyd walked and Devin Elam reached on a fielder's choice. A fielding error by the Rams shortstop allowed Boyd to advance into scoring position, threatening to give the Aggies their first lead of the ballgame.    After four and a half innings of scoreless softball, NM State got the first run up on the board when Jillian Taylor singled to center field driving in Boyd from second base. This would be about all the Aggies could muster up offensively as they finish the inning with one run (unearned), one hit and two left on base.
 
Top 6
The Rams responded in the top of the sixth after a walk and single put two runners on base with no outs. A sacrifice bunt by the Rams two-hole hitter advanced both runners into scoring position while giving Emily Dix her first out of the sixth. After being held scoreless the previous 11 innings, the Rams were able to jump out to their first lead against the Aggies since the first inning of Friday's game when they jumped out to a 4-0 lead before falling 7-4. Back-to-back home runs by the four and five-hole hitters is what gave Colorado State a 4-1 lead late in the ballgame. NM State was able to escape the inning after allowing four runs on three hits, tallying zero errors, leaving one left on base.
 
Bottom 6
Paige Knight led the sixth off for the Aggies with a single up the middle for her first hit of the game. After pitching five innings without allowing an earned run, Jen Fisher elected to pull her starter from the circle as the Aggies power hitting right fielder, Riley Carley, prepared to step into the box. Carley drew a walk, advancing Jessica Carreon into scoring position after coming into the game to pinch run for Paige Knight. Hannah Lindsay was the next Aggie to the plate and sent a dribbler up the middle allowing the shortstop to retire the runner from first but sent the throw wide of the first base bag allowing Lindsay to reach safely and Carreon to score all the way from second base. NM State wouldn't be able to produce any more runs in the inning but did shorten their deficit down to two runs (4-2).
 
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