Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS – No strangers to the Lone Star state, NM State traveled east to Stephenville for a three-game series with the Tarleton Texans. In a Friday night doubleheader, the Aggies came away with a win in game one 8-5, before dropping the night cap 4-2. Kendal Lunar, Riley Carley, Kayla Bowen and Jillian Taylor and Paige Knight recorded home runs on the day, with Taylor coming up a triple shy of the cycle in game one.
 
GAME ONE | NM State 8 Tarleton 5
 
Second Inning
Riley Carley opened the inning with a single dropping near the right field line, the first hit of the afternoon for the Aggies. After stealing second and advancing to third on a Paige Knight groundout, she was stranded as a Jillian Taylor flyout ended the inning.

With two on and two outs, a bloop single by the Texans landed in front of a charging Gabby Aragon, winding up and launching a throw from shallow left field into the waiting glove of Kendal Lunar, easily tagging the runner at home for the decisive third out to end the inning and keep it a 0-0 ballgame.
 
Third Inning
NM State struck oil in the top of the third, taking their first lead of the afternoon behind a quartet of runs. A single to centerfield by Jillian Taylor gave the Aggies their first baserunner of the inning – though she wouldn't stay on the bases long. The WAC hitter of the Week for two weeks running, Kayla Bowen stepped up to the plate and began her campaign for a third straight, knocking a double deep to right field that scored Taylor and represented the first run of the game (1-0). Freshman phenom Kendal Lunar came up to bat next, and crushed a ball to left field, scoring a pair of runs and putting the Crimson & White up by three (3-0). As the celebrations died down it was time for more, as Riley Carley followed up with a solo shot to left center – her team leading 11^th of the season.
 
The Aggies four-run lead would not last long however, as Tarleton battled back with a two-run home run by Katy Schaefer to end the third inning with a 4-2 Aggie advantage.
 
Fourth Inning
Gabby Aragon started the fourth inning with a double out to centerfield, setting herself up for an easy path to home plate following a Jayleen Burton single to make it a 5-2 NM State lead. Surprising no one, Kayla Bowen did what she does best and hit a two-run homer to centerfield, scoring a pair and giving the Aggies their largest lead of the afternoon (7-2).
 
Refusing to relent, Katy Schaefer recorded her second home run of the afternoon, a three-run blast to centerfield, shrinking the gap and making it a 7-5 affair heading into the fifth inning.
 
Fifth Inning
Laurali Patane opened the bottom of the fifth inning for the Aggies in relief of Aydenne Brown, recording a shutout inning to keep the NM State lead at two runs, 7-5.
 
Seventh Inning
Looking to score some insurance runs, Jillian Taylor made a statement with her leadoff solo shot to right field – Taylor's ninth of the year and the Aggies fourth of the afternoon, to put NM State up three heading to the bottom of the seventh (8-5), needing three outs to end the game. Patane's third shutout inning ended the Texans' comeback hopes, and gave the Aggies the series opening victory.
 
GAME TWO | NM State 2 Tarleton 4
 
First Inning
Jillian Taylor started game two of the doubleheader with a bunt to get aboard, shortly followed by an easy swipe of second base to put her in scoring position. A hard line drive to third base by Kayla Bowen forced the Texans into an error, putting runners on first and second with no outs in the opening frame. Three quick outs by the Aggies ended the scoring threat and sent it to the bottom of the inning.
 
Tarleton struck first in game number two, putting two on the scoreboard off a Katy Schaefer home run – her third of the day.
 
Second Inning
Hannah Lindsay began the second inning with a single out to left field, with Savannah Bejarano coming in to pinch run for the first time on Friday. Jessica Carreon put two on the bases after drawing a walk, but a double play by Tarleton ended the inning with a pair of Aggies stranded.
 
Sixth Inning
 Jillian Taylor recorded her second hit of the game and fifth of the afternoon with a leadoff single down the left field line, though three straight outs following left her stranded on the basepaths. 

Seventh Inning
Down to their last three outs, the Aggies were tasked with collecting at least four runs if they wanted to avoid dropping back to .500 in conference play. Hannah Lindsay started the inning by drawing a walk, putting one on the basepaths before Paige Knight took her turn in the batter's box. Facing a 1-1 count, Knight turned on the offering and hammered it out to left field, securing her seventh home run of the season and cutting the NM State deficit in half (4-2). Gabby Aragon kept up the offensive momentum with a double down the left field line, but it proved too little too late, as the Aggies recorded their last two outs and fell by a final score of 4-2.
 
Numbers of Note
 

• 0 - Laurali Patane recorded three hitless innings in game one to record her second save of the season. 
• 3-17 - NM State fell to 3-17 on the season when scoring less than four runs, as they did in game two. 
• .534 – Following her 3-for-5 performance across both games, Kayla Bowen is hitting .534 against WAC competiton - far and away the highest batting average for NM State, and second in home runs (7) to Riley Carley (9). 
• 4 – Kendal Lunar, Riley Carley, Kayla Bowen and Jillian Taylor hit home runs in game number one; the fourth time the Aggies recorded at least four home runs in a game this season - all wins.

 
Up Next
The Aggies return to Stephenville for the final game of the series on Saturday, April 15^th. First pitch is scheduled for noon. For updates and exclusive content throughout the season, follow the Aggies on Twitter (@NMStateSoftball), Instagram (@nmstatesoftball) and like us on Facebook (NM State Softball).