Box Score TAMPA, Fla. – The Aggies scored two in the top of the eighth inning, but it was not enough as the NM State softball team fell 5-4 to South Florida on Friday in their second game of the USF Under Armour showcase at the USF Softball Stadium.
 
NM State (17-10) scored four runs and racked up three RBIs on nine hits. Kelsey Horton and Fiana Finau both had two hits. Karysta Donisthorpe pitched 7.0 innings and threw seven strikeouts in 29 batters faced.
 
South Florida (16-9) scored five runs and had five RBIs on 12 hits. Erica Nunn pitched 5.2 innings and had six strikeouts in 24 batters faced.
 
Rachel Rodriguez began the eighth inning on second base due to the international tiebreaker rule. Emma Adams hit a single up the middle and advanced to second on a throwing error, while Rodriguez scored on the play. Lucy Mendoza entered as a pinch runner for Adams. Mendoza advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored as Finau reached first on an error by the shortstop to give NM State a 4-2 lead.
 
Kristen Wyckoff was placed on second base for the international tiebreaker rule and scored as Juli Weber hit a double to right field. Weber advanced to third as Mia Fung singled to second base and Lee Ann Spivey reached first base on a fielder's choice. Weber scored as Monica Santos hit a single up the middle and Spivey scored as Lauren Evans singled up the middle to give the Bulls a victory in extra innings.
 
After two scoreless innings, the Aggies took the lead in the top of the third inning. Victoria Castro hit a triple to right center and Nue Sivia reached first base on a fielder's choice. Haley Nakamura hit a single up the middle to score Castro and give NM State a 1-0 advantage.
 
USF evened the score in the bottom of the inning. Weber hit a single to left field and scored as Santos doubled down the left field line.
 
NM State put runners on base in the fourth and fifth innings. In the top of the fourth inning, Finau hit a double to left center and advanced to third as Horton hit a sacrifice fly to center field, but she was left stranded.
 
In the top of the fifth inning, Sivia singled up the middle and advanced to second as Rodriguez grounded out to third base. H. Nakamura was walked to put runners on first and second base, but both were left stranded as the score remained knotted at 1-1.
 
The Aggies took the lead in the top of the sixth inning. Finau singled up the middle and Misty Hoohuli entered as a pinch runner. Horton hit a single to right field and advanced on the throw as Hoohuli was tagged out at third base. Reedy hit a single to right field and Horton advanced to second, then Reedy then scored on a throwing error by the right fielder to give NM State a 2-1 advantage.
 
The Bulls evened the score again in the bottom of the sixth inning. Spivey hit a solo home run over right field to tie the game at 2-2 to force extra innings.
 
The Aggies take the field again tomorrow as they face Detroit Mercy at 9:30 a.m. MT at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex on their second day of the USF Under Armour Showcase.