OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University softball team dropped both games of a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader to New Mexico State, 9-0 and 11-1, on Friday afternoon at Wolverine Field. UVU will look to bounce back when the series concludes with the third and final game on Saturday at noon.
 
"I was proud of the girls' effort for the majority of that second game. I thought that they did a nice job defensively and fought hard against a tough opponent," head UVU coach Nikki Palmer said. "Now we have some really great insight going into Saturday's finale. We just need to find a way how to close things out at the end of the game."
 
New Mexico State (25-18, 5-0 WAC) was first to get on the scoreboard in the opening game, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. NMSU's Fiana Finau singled to right field to score Amy Bergeson from second base. Finau then crossed the plate later in the frame when Tatum Reedy singled down the left field line.
 
Utah Valley (5-28, 1-4 WAC) got out of a jam in the top of the second inning as Wolverine pitcher Makayla Shadle recorded back-to-back strikeouts with runners on first and second base to get out of the inning unscathed.
 
New Mexico State extended its lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning when Finau hit a solo shot over the left field fence. The Aggies added another run in the top of the fourth inning as Emma Adams scored on a UVU throwing error to give NM State a 4-0 advantage.
 
NMSU later put up five more runs in the top of the fifth inning to put the opener away. Victoria Castro, Brennalyn Nakamura and Kelsey Horton all delivered RBI hits in the frame.
 
Tiani Hensley registered the lone hit of the contest for Utah Valley, reaching on an infield single in the last of the fifth. Finau paced the Aggie offense by going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, three runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.
 
Shadle was credited with the loss in the circle for the Wolverines, falling to 1-3 on the year. Shadle recorded four strikeouts while giving up three runs. McAdams picked up her 10th win in the circle for NM State, throwing a one-hit run-rule shutout with three strikeouts.
 
With game two of the twin bill deadlocked in a scoreless pitcher's duel in the fifth inning, New Mexico State loaded the bases but Utah Valley's Bailey Moore managed to give up just one run on an infield single as the Aggies took a 1-0 lead.  
 
The NM State offense then broke through in the sixth, adding five more runs in the top of the inning to take a 6-0 advantage. Horton was first to cross the plate in the frame, scoring the run on a wild pitch. Finau, who had doubled to center in her at bat, scored on a passed ball. Jasmine Stokes, who was pinch running for Tatum Reedy, scored the third run of the inning on a Nakamura single to left field. Nakamura then crossed the plate on a Fahren Glackin single up the middle. Amy Bergeson scored NMSU's final run of the inning on an Adams single to center field.
 
Hensley then got the Wolverines on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo home run over the left field wall to cut the NMSU lead to a 6-1 advantage.
 
New Mexico State later added five more runs in the top of the seventh inning to take an 11-1 advantage and put the game away. Kennedy Johnson delivered the big blow in the frame with a three-run homer over the center field fence.
 
Hensley, Brittney Vansway and Kristy Snyder each registered a hit apiece in the ballgame for UVU. Emma Adams led NMSU by going 3-for-5 with two runs batted in.
 
Bailey Moore (3-16) worked 5.1 innings in the circle for the Wolverines, giving up only four runs with a pair of strikeouts. Karysta Donisthorpe (8-8) picked up the complete game win in the circle for the Aggies after allowing just three hits and one run while striking out seven.
 
The three-game conference series will conclude on Saturday at noon MT. The ballgame will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network. Following's Saturday's finale, UVU will remain home to take on Idaho State in a non-conference contest on Tuesday, April 12 at 3 p.m.