ST. GEORGE, Utah – With a chance to pick up their first series win of the 2023 conference season, NM State faltered in a pair of games against Utah Tech, falling 5-4 in game one and 4-1 in the finale. Riley Carley and Kayla Bowen belted bombs over the fence on the day, while Emily Dix set a new high in strikeouts at NM State with seven.
 
GAME ONE | NM State 4 Utah Tech 5
 
Third Inning
Neither offense could get much going over the first two innings, but NM State struck first in the top of the third. A leadoff one-bagger by Jayleen Burton, followed by a one out single by Kendal Lunar put a pair of Aggies on. A wild pitch by the Trailblazers allowed Burton and Lunar to advance into scoring position when Riley Carley stepped up to the plate. Carley squared up and  elevated a deep fly ball over the left-center field fence for a three-run home run – her sixth long ball of the year; tying her with Paige Knight and Jillian Taylor for the team lead and putting the Aggies on top 3-0.
 
Fourth Inning
A two-run blast by Utah Tech trimmed the NM State advantage to one (3-2), and a hit by pitch followed by a triple to right field scored another run for the Trailblazers to tie things up at three runs apiece. Chasing starting pitcher Aydenne Brown from the circle, Laurali Patane came into relieve Brown, recording a strikeout and a flyout to end the inning before any more damage could be dealt.  
 
Sixth Inning
Back-to-back hits by Carley and Paige Knight to lead off the inning put two Aggies on base with three outs to play with. Looking to put some speed on the bases, Head Coach Kathy Rodolph put Savannah Bejarano and Xophia Venegas in to pinch run ahead of Devin Elam. The freshman from Long Beach came into the batter's box next, putting a ball into play to advance the runners over with Bejarano scoring on the throw over to first, giving the Aggies a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning.
 
After recording her second strikeout of the afternoon and a groundout, Patane needed just one out to send things to the seventh. Unfortunately, Utah Tech squandered the Crimson & White advantage after Shea Clements hit a two-run homerun that squeaked over the fence, putting the Trailblazers on top 5-4, a score that would soon go final.
 
 
GAME TWO | NM State 1 Utah Tech 4
 
First Inning
The Aggies were unable to get anything going to begin the game, and it appeared Utah Tech would do the same after Emily Dix opened the bottom half of the first with a strikeout. A two-run single allowed the Trailblazers to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead, with the opportunity to score more with a pair still on the basepaths. Collecting herself, Dix recorded the final out of the inning with a three-pitch strikeout.
 
Fourth Inning
Kayla Bowen turned the third NM State hit of the game into their first run with a deep shot to left field – her third on the season and first since March 4^th. Trailing 2-1, a Riley Carley single and an error by Utah Tech put the Aggies in position to put more runs on the scoreboard, but back-to-back strikeouts thwarted the opportunity.  
 
Numbers to Note

• 7 – Emily Dix recorded seven strikeouts in game two, eclipsing her previous best of five at NM State that came against South Dakota State (2/17) and Utah Valley (3/17).
• 8 – Kayla Bowen recorded her eighth multi-hit game of the season, leading NM State in the category.
• 3-13 – NM State fell to just 3-13 on the season when scoring four runs or less – a feat that occurred in both games on Saturday.
• 20 – After hitting a home run in each game on Saturday, NM State has now launched at least one home run in 20 of their 26 games this season.

UP NEXT
The Aggies face a quick turnaround, taking on rival UNM on Tuesday, March 28^th in Albuquerque. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. For updates and exclusive content throughout the season, follow the Aggies on Twitter (@NMStateSoftball), Instagram (@nmstatesoftball) and like us on Facebook (NM State Softball).