OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University softball team battled with the first-place New Mexico State Aggies on Saturday afternoon at Wolverine Field, but in the end dropped a 4-2 decision as NM State swept the three-game series.
 
With the loss, the Wolverines fall to 5-29 overall and 1-5 in Western Athletic Conference play while NM State improves to 26-18 overall and 6-0 in league play with the win.
 
"I was really proud of our performance today," head UVU coach Nikki Palmer said. "Bailey (Moore) threw a heck of a game. We could have used a couple more hits but our hitters made some necessary adjustments in the box and we communicated well. Overall I was pleased with our effort and that's all you can ask for as a coach."
 
Bailey Moore gave the Wolverines a chance in the contest as she limited New Mexico State's high-powered offense to just seven hits and four runs while striking out four in the full seven innings of work. She also stranded seven Aggies on the base paths, as she pitched out of a number of jams as the Wolverine defense turned a season-high three double plays behind her.
 
With the game still scoreless in the second, UVU managed to manufacture an early run to take a 1-0 lead. Breezy Roth opened the frame with a single and later advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Dana De La Torre. Cera Stanley then delivered the big hit of the inning with an RBI double to left to plate Roth.
 
The lead didn't last long however, as NMSU answered back with three runs of its own in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead. Rachel Rodriguez drove home the first two runs for the Aggies with a two-run single to left-center while Kelsey Horton drove in the third on an RBI single to right.
 
Still trailing 3-1 in the fourth, Brittney Vansway started a rally for the Wolverines with a leadoff single through the left side of the infield. Following a groundout and a wild pitch, pinch runner Bryanna Fox came around to score UVU's second run of the game on an infield single from De La Torre to make it a 3-2 contest. 
 
It remained a one-run game until the seventh when Rodriguez walked and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Aggies a 4-2 lead. UVU then got a runner on in the last of the seventh thanks to a NM State error, but the Aggie defense quickly responded by turning a double play to end threat and the ballgame.
 
Stanley and De La Torre paced the Wolverine offense by each going 1-for-2 with an RBI, while Horton led the Aggies with a 2-for-4 outing.
 
Moore was tagged with the loss in the circle for UVU to drop to drop to 3-17 on the year, while Makayla McAdams earned the win for NM State to improve to 11-7.
 
The Wolverines will now remain home to welcome Idaho State to town for a non-conference midweek contest on Tuesday, April 12 at 3 p.m. before returning to conference play next weekend at Missouri-Kansas City (April 15-16).