LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Maya Martinez crushed a deep home run off of the light pole in left-center field to complete one of the most improbable comebacks in a 12-10 win over Utah Valley (20-24, 5-9) on Friday night at the NM State Softball Complex. The Aggies (26-18, 11-3) also took game one 12-6 and still hold sole possession of first place in the WAC standings with a 11-3 conference record. 

Game One
Home runs from Matalasi Faapito and Nikki Butler gave the Aggies an early 4-0 lead in the first inning, and they never looked back in a 12-6 win over the Wolverines. The Aggie offense exploded for 14 hits and four home runs in game one.

After Gabby Aragon drew a walk with the bases loaded in the second inning to score a run, Kendra Levesque joined the home run party with a two-run laser to center field to put the Aggies up 6-1 in the third inning. Butler's single and Kayla Bowen's double brought home two more runs for the Aggies, and Aragon blew the game open with a three-run home run to center field. The Wolverines tried to come back with four runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but Faapito battled through some tough innings to keep the Wolverines at distance.

Faapito threw her seventh complete game of the season and improved to 7-0 in the circle in conference play. 

Game Two
All of the fireworks came in game two at the NM State Softball Complex, as the Aggies came back from 9-0 to stun the Wolverines in a 12-10 victory. This was familiar territory for the Aggies, as they came back from an 8-0 deficit just last year against Houston on Mar. 1, 2020.

The Aggie bats struggled to get going early on in the game, but three solo home runs from Ramsay Lopez, Butler and Martinez gave the Aggies a little life, yet they still trailed 10-3 in the fifth inning. Lopez hit a blooper to shallow right field in the fifth that gave the Wolverines some trouble, and the Aggies cut the lead to six. 

The Aggie bats caught fire in a five-run sixth inning to tie the ball game. Bowen singled to begin the inning, and Aragon pushed her to third on a fielder's choice. Martinez doubled to right field to score Bowen to make the game 10-6. Audrey Shebloski came in as a pinch hitter and laid down a perfect bunt attempt that allowed Aragon to score. Shebloski made a heads-up play, as the Wolverines left second base uncovered, and Shebloski advanced. Hailey Tanori picked up her second triple of the game to bring home Martinez and Shebloski to cut the lead to two. Faapito stepped in and hammered the fourth pitch she saw over the center field wall to tie the game. 

Chloe Rivas did her job in the circle in the top of the seventh to keep the Wolverines off the board. Aragon singled to start off the bottom of the seventh inning, and Martinez completed the comeback with her second walk-off home run of the season. 

In the two games, the Aggies got production throughout the entire lineup, as 10 different Aggies recorded a hit in the two games. Lopez, Butler, Martinez and Faapito each picked up four hits. Butler, Martinez and Faapito each had two home runs and four RB's in the doubleheader. As a team, the Aggies had 27 hits in the two games and hit nine home runs, the most in a two-game stretch this season. 

The Aggies will go for its third consecutive WAC sweep against the Wolverines tomorrow at 1 p.m. Following the game, the Aggies will honor 2021 senior Nikki Butler and the 2020 seniors, Brandy Hernandez, Jeanelle Medina, Shelby Shultes and Caity Szczesny.

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Postgame Notes

• The Aggies have won 10 straight WAC games. This is the longest conference win streak since 2015 when the Aggies started 11-0.
• The Aggies have won eight straight games overall. This is the longest win streak since 2016 when the Aggies won 11 straight games to end the season.
• The Aggies 9-0 comeback is the largest comeback since Mar. 1, 2020, when the Aggies defeated Houston 10-8 after falling behind 8-0 in the first inning.
• The Aggies are 7-1 at the NM State Softball Complex this season. 
• The Aggies improved to 14-5 this season in games decided by two runs or less.
• The Aggies hit five home runs in game two. This is the most home runs by NM State since Apr. 7, 2017, when the Aggies hit six home runs against Seattle U
• The Aggies home run total is now at 51 which puts them at 25th in the NCAA.
• Hailey Tanori had two triples in game two. This is the first time she has recorded two triples in a game in her career. 
• Nikki Butler was hit for the 18th time this season in game one, tying her single season record which she set in 2019.