LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Fresh off of a run-rule win over No. 4 Seattle U earlier in the day, the fifth-seeded Utah Valley University softball team dropped a 13-3 five-inning contest to the host and top-seeded New Mexico State Aggies on Thursday evening at the 2015 WAC Softball Tournament. With the loss, the Wolverines will fall to the consolation bracket and face Seattle U once again on Friday afternoon.
 
"We had a little trouble defensively and it hurt us," UVU head coach Nikki Palmer said. "They are a tremendous offensive team and we knew that they were going to come out swinging. We just needed to contain it a little bit better."
 
Despite suffering the run-rule loss, Jaylen Watson tied the single-season UVU (17-40) record for home runs with a fifth-inning solo bomb to center field late in the game. Watson, who also homered earlier in the day against the Redhawks, now has 13 round trippers on the season and is tied atop the record books with the program's all-time home run leader Amanda Robison.
 
"Jaylen is a tremendous athlete and has brought a lot to our program this year," added Palmer. "She also always has a great attitude and is a hard worker. On top of all that, she is also a pretty good hitter."
 
NM State (43-13) didn't waste any time driving in its first run in the contest as it managed to manufacture a first-inning run in the bottom of the frame. The Aggies then scored five more in the second with four coming on a grand slam to center from Fiana Finau.
 
The Wolverines responded with two runs of their own in the third. The first run came in when Jaylen Watson got caught in a rundown, following a flyout from Brittney Vansway, and Kristy Snyder wisely broke for home from third on the play. Two batters later, Erin Romero then plated Watson with an RBI single into center to make it a 6-2 contest.
 
The Aggies struck back with six more runs in the third and another in the fourth, however, to put the game away.
 
Watson paced the Wolverine offense by going a perfect 3-for-3 against with two runs scored and an RBI. Vansway was next as she went 2-for-3 with a double. Dallas McBride and Tatum Reedy both recorded two hits apiece to lead the way for NM State.
 
McBride (16-5) also recorded the win in the circle for NMSU after giving up just two earned runs in three innings, while Bailey Moore suffered the loss for Utah Valley to drop to 11-20 on the year.
 
The Wolverines' win-or-go-home contest against SU will be at 4 p.m. on Friday. The winner of that contest will play again immediately following that ballgame while the loser will be eliminated.
 
"We'll be ready to go tomorrow," concluded Palmer. "We've just got to work our way back up now."