KANSAS CITY, Mo. –
Brennalyn Nakamura went 3-for-4 and drove in
Victoria Castro for the winning run as the NM State softball team topped Missouri-Kansas City 5-4 on Friday in game one of the series. Game two has been postponed until Saturday at 12:00 p.m. MT.
The Aggies (33-19, 12-1 WAC) scored five runs and amassed four RBIs on 11 hits.
Kelsey Horton went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
Karysta Donisthorpe pitched a 7.0 innings and collected 10 strikeouts in 27 batters faced.
UMKC (21-20, 10-3 WAC) scored four runs and had four RBIs on three hits. Amber Grove pitched 6.2 innings and had four strikeouts in 34 batters faced.
Trailing by one after six innings, NM State scored two in the top of the seventh inning to secure the win. Horton hit a single to left field.
Corrin Green hit a single up the middle and
Misty Hoohuli entered for her as a pinch runner. Castro singled to left field and Horton scored on the play to tie the game. B. Nakamura then hit a single up the middle to score Castro as the Aggies captured a 5-4 victory.
The Aggies took the lead in the top of the first inning.
Rachel Rodriguez was walked, stole second and advanced to third as
Emma Adams grounded out. Horton hit a single to left field to score Rodriguez as NM State took a 1-0 advantage.
NM State held UMKC scoreless through three innings. First, Donisthorpe struck out six batters in a row in the first and second innings. A foul out, a fly out and a pop out ended the third inning before UMKC took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ashlin O'Brien was hit by a pitch. Katie Kelley then hit a two-RBI home run over left field to give the home team a 2-0 advantage.
The Aggies scored in the top of the fifth inning. Adams hit a solo home run over left field to knot the score at 2-2. This was Adams' third home run of the season.
NM State regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning.
Fahren Glackin pinch hit for Castro and was walked. Castro re-entered and moved to second base as B. Nakamura hit a single to right field.
Kennedy Johnson entered as a pinch hitter and singled up the middle to score Castro as the Aggies took a 3-2 lead.
UMKC scored again in the bottom of the sixth inning. O'Brien was hit by a pitch. Kelley then hit another home run to give the home team a 4-3 advantage before the Aggies scored in the top of the seventh to win the game.
The Aggies will take the field again tomorrow as they conclude the series with a double header with game two of the series set for 12:00 p.m. MT. The series finale will begin at 2:00 p.m.
