JACKSONVILLE, Ala. –  Jax State took command early and never looked back. The home Gamecocks launched three home runs, scoring in all four innings they batted. NM State failed to get much offense going, advancing just one runner past first base. After five innings, the home squad held an 11-0 lead, prompting a run-rule conclusion. The Gamecocks have now won five of six, improving to 16-21 and 5-5 in league games. The loss moved the Aggies to 20-14 on the season and 6-4 in Conference USA play. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gamecocks got out to a hot start in the home half of the opening inning, bringing their first three batters of the game across the plate. A Lindsey Richardson blast brought home two, making it 3-0 in the blink of an eye. Desirae Spearman worked through the rest of the inning with little trouble, but ran into similar issues in the second inning. 
 
The frame began with a walk and a strikeout, before leadoff hitter Ashley Phillips went yard to left-center. The blast extended the lead to 5-0, which is where the score stood at the end of the second inning. Spearman's night in the circle concluded there, and she shifted to left field. 
 
Meanwhile, the Aggies had not earned a baserunner in their first six at-bats. Riley Carley got in on the action with a left-field double of her own, later advancing to third base on a ground ball. The Crimson & White couldn't bring her home, bringing up the home half of the third. 
 
Head Coach Kathy Rodolph made several defensive moves to start the third inning, most notably changing both members of the battery. Savannah Bejarano entered the game to catch for Emily Dix in the circle. The senior pitcher quickly recorded an out to start the inning, but NM State posted errors on back-to-back plays immediately after, loading the bases. 
 
Dix would allow five runs in the frame, but the Aggies' errors kept them off her line. A single scored a run in the next at-bat, and another followed. A third Aggie error occurred on the play, scoring the third and fourth Gamecock run of the inning. Later, a passed ball brought in Jax State's fifth fun of the inning, making it 10-0. 
 
Jax State tacked on one more run via a solo blast from Morgan Nowakowski in the fourth inning. NM State could not muster up a baserunner in the top of the fifth, despite Bejarano's best efforts. A 13-pitch at-bat from the senior catcher extended the Aggies' chances, but a pair of reviews interrupted the at-bat, including a second challenge that ended the game. The officials determined Bejarano was out of the batter's box while swinging, signaling a strikeout and an 11-0 defeat for the Crimson & White. 
 
NUMBERS OF NOTE

• Desirae Spearman allowed more runs in the first three at-bats than she had her entire career. Spearman had not allowed more than two earned runs all year entering the contest. The freshman finished with five allowed runs in two innings on Friday. 
• The last time NM State was outscored by at least 10 runs was on Feb. 17, falling 20-10 to Sacramento State.
• 11 runs were the most by Jax State this season, besting their previous mark of nine against Middle Tennessee two weekends ago. 

• NM State posted three errors for just the second time since starting conference play. The mark was the highest of any conference game so far. Those errors, combined with a passed ball, directly led to all five third-inning runs for Jax State.

 
UP NEXT
The Aggies and Gamecocks will meet again for the second game of the series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM MT (1:00 PM local). The matchup 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).