Box Score ST. GEORGE, Utah – Home run (noun): a fair hit that allows the batter to make a complete circuit of the bases without stopping and score a run. No stranger to the long ball, NM State used it to their advantage in St. George, hitting four of them en route to a 9-5 victory over Utah Tech Friday afternoon. Kendal Lunar hit one in the first inning to begin her 3-for-4 day, Riley Carley and Devin Elam connected on the deep ball to tie things up in the fourth inning, and Paige Knight powered one to left field for the game winning run. Emily Dix (3-4) notched the win in a 3.2 IP, four strikeout outing and Aydenne Brown recorded her first save of the season.
 
First Inning
Kendal Lunar continued her dominance in the box for the Aggies, launching a ball into left centerfield for her third homerun of the year, giving NM State an early 1-0 lead.
 
Laurali Patane earned the starting nod for the Crimson & White, working a scoreless inning and allowing only one baserunner to reach.
 
Second Inning
Paige Knight drew a leadoff walk to keep up the offensive pressure, followed by a single up the middle by Gabby Aragon to put two on the base paths in the top half of the inning – though the Aggies were unable to produce any runs.
 
A single followed by a trio of fielder's choices put runners on first and second for Utah Tech with two outs before a triple by Rachel Campbell plated two and gave UTU its first lead of the game (2-1).
 
Fourth Inning
Trailing 4-1 heading into the fourth inning, Riley Carley stepped up to the plate looking to do some damage. After taking a first pitch strike, Carley squared up and crushed a ball deep to left field – her fifth of the year and NM State's second solo shot of the afternoon. Hannah Lindsay followed up with a single into left field, with Savannah Bejarano taking her spot on the bases as a pinch runner. A passed ball gave Bejarano an easy stroll to second base, putting her in scoring position for Kristen Boyd. After advancing to third off a sacrifice, freshman Devin Elam came into the batter's box. Behind 1-2 in the count, Elam elevated a fly ball into center field, watching it clear the fences for a two-run blast, tying the game up at four runs apiece (4-4).
  
Emily Dix made her way to the circle, intent on preserving the tied score. In a dominant fashion, Dix notched three-straight strikeouts, forcing all three Trailblazers into chasing the final strike.
 
Fifth Inning
Jillian Taylor came aboard with a single to start the fifth inning, advancing to third when Kendal Lunar recorded her second hit of the day, a single through the right side. Jessica Carreon entered the game as a pinch runner for Lunar, runners on the corners with no outs. Kayla Bowen came up to the plate and recorded a sacrifice hit to score Taylor from third and put NM State ahead, but Carreon left early and forced the Aggies to replay the at-bat. In a case of déjà vu, Bowen struck out, but a drop by the catcher required her to throw Bowen out at first, giving Taylor enough time to sprint for home plate – easily scoring and putting the Crimson & White back on top 5-4.
 
A pair of doubles and an untimely NM State error allowed the Trailblazers to score, quickly extinguishing the Aggie lead and tying the ballgame up 5-5.
 
Seventh Inning
With the top of the order on deck, NM State looked poised to add some runs to the scoreboard – and that's exactly what happened. Jillian Taylor smacked a double down the right field line, moving over to third on a wild pitch, giving the Aggies a prime opportunity with no outs. Keeping her hot streak going, Kendal Lunar smoked a single up the middle, easily scoring Taylor and putting NM State in the lead once again, 6-5. Kayla Bowen followed suit with her teammates, knocking a single into the outfield to put a pair on without an out. Riley Carley came up next, laying down a sacrifice bunt to advance both Bowen and Lunar into scoring position. Ultimately, it wouldn't matter – Paige Knight wasted no time once she entered the box, powering a bases clearing home run over the left field wall to give the Aggies their largest lead of the day, 9-5.
 
Refusing to go quietly, a pair of Trailblazers reached base, prompting Head Coach Kathy Rodolph to bring in Aydenne Brown to try and wrap the game up. A two RBI double to left center gave Utah Tech hope, making it a 9-7 game with no outs. As she's done for the Aggies all season long, Brown came up big when her team needed it most – recording three straight outs to put the finishing touches on the NM State win.
 
UP NEXT
The Aggies return on Saturday, March 25^th for a doubleheader to close out their weekend in St. George. First pitch is scheduled for noon. For updates and exclusive content throughout the season, follow the Aggies on Twitter (@NMStateSoftball), Instagram (@nmstatesoftball) and like us on Facebook (NM State Softball).