LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Utah Valley University was on the short end of a one-run game in the opener of a three-game WAC series, falling 4-3 at New Mexico State on Friday night in front of a Presley Askew Field record 2,147 fans.
 
Utah Valley starter Jake Mayer (2-7) got credit for his fourth complete game of the season after pitching eight innings and allowing three earned runs (four total) on six hits and a trio of strikeouts, but took the tough-luck loss. 
 
Jackson Overlund went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Wolverines (14-29, 5-11) while Trevor Howell went 1-for-2 and reached base three times. UVU finished with six hits on the night while the Aggies (30-16, 13-6) finished with six hits, one each from six different players. 
 
NM State starter Kyle Bradish, the WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, lasted seven innings and struck out six, allowing two earned runs (three total) on four hits while also walking four. Bradish, who improved to 6-3, threw a season-high 125 pitches on the night.
 
Brock Whittlesey pitched the final two innings to pick up his seventh save. In the ninth, he allowed a leadoff single to Overlund and a one-out walk to Skyler Davis but struck out the last two hitters to strand the potential tying and go-ahead runs to end it. 
 
New Mexico State scored first, taking advantage of an error in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead. Overlund began the second with a base hit for the Wolverines and stood at second with one out when Callahan Moltzan drove him in with an RBI base hit to tie the game. Drew Sims, who walked ahead of Moltzan, later scored on a passed ball to give UVU a 2-1 advantage.
 
In the third, Howell singled to lead off the inning and, after Modler was hit by a pitch, scored from second on an RBI single by Overlund for a 3-1 Wolverine lead.
 
After the run in the first, Mayer retired 12 of the next 13 hitters he faced with the lone baserunner reaching on an error.
 
The stretch ended on an infield chopper off the bat of Marcus Still and began a three-run frame for New Mexico State. The Aggies got an RBI double from Trey Stine, an RBI groundout by Caleb Henderson and a two-out, RBI single from Logan Ehnes to take a 4-3 lead.

The series continues on Saturday with a 2:05 p.m. MT first pitch in a game that can be seen on the WAC Digital Network.