EL PASO, Texas – The New Mexico State softball flexed it's offensive prowess in a 12-1 win over IUPUI and an 8-5 win over Omaha at the UTEP Invitational in El Paso on Friday. The 12-1 win over IUPUI was the 700th for
Kathy Rodolph's career.
GAME ONE
The Aggies jumped out to an early 4-0 lead behind RBI from
Nikki Butler,
Casie Roberto,
Matalasi Faapito and
Chloe Rivas in the bottom of the first inning. Butler added two more RBI in the second when she smashed a home run to give NM State a 6-0 lead.
Kayla Bowen then opened the game up with a two-run shot of her own in the third inning. The Jags got a run back before Roberto scored on an error to make it 9-1 Aggies. Then freshman Riley Charley put the game away with a three-run triple in the bottom of the fourth, her first-career hit.
Chloe Rivas was phenomenal in the circle for the Aggies, tossing 5 innings with one run and five strikeouts. Butler finished the game 2-2 with a double, a home run and three RBI.
GAME TWO
In the days second game, NM State took on Omaha, who it split a four-game series 2-2 with last weekend in Las Cruces.
The Aggies got out to an early 2-0 lead after Roberto and Rivas each drew bases-loaded walks in the top of the first inning. However, the Mavericks went on to score four runs in the bottom half to take a 4-2 lead.
Omaha added one more to its lead in the bottom of the third before freshman
Maya Martinez hit her first-career home run to cut into the deficit in the top of the 4th. After the Aggies held Omaha scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, the sticks came alive in the top of the sixth.
With two runners on, Butler stepped to the plate in the top of the sixth and blasted her second home run of the day, a three-run shot to give NM State a 6-5 lead. Faapito and Roberto then followed that up with dingers of their own to open an 8-5 lead. This was the second time this season the Aggies have hit at least three home runs in a row, the first came at the Troy Cox Classic against Arkansas.
With a three run cushion,
Analise De La Roca shut the Mavericks down in the sixth and seventh innings to pick up the win. De La Roca allowed Just one hit hit and no runs in four innings of relief.
UP NEXT
The Aggies and the Mavericks are set to meet for the sixth time this season tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 22, at 12 p.m.