PHOENIX – After splitting a pair of games on Friday, NM State returned to GCU Softball Stadium where they took on Seton Hall and Ohio State on the second day of the ASU/GCU Classic. The Aggies were not as successful as they were on the opening day of play as they fell 4-2 to the Pirates despite a late surge before suffering a 10-0 defeat in five innings at the hands of the Buckeyes.
 
For the second consecutive day, Dezianna Patmon was a shining star amid the Aggie lineup as she finished the day 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in her role as the designated player. With the day's performance, Patmon now holds a team-best .438 batting average among Aggies with at least 30 at-bats. Kristen Boyd also recorded her second double of the season and is now tied for second on the team along with Patmon.
 

GAME ONE | NM State 2, Seton Hall 4
The Seton Hall offense struck first as Taylor Hill and Kelsey Carr hit back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the first inning after the Aggie batters were retired in order in their first at-bat. The Pirates then put another runner on base via a walk, however, the Aggie defense stepped in as the inning ended with a 4-6-3 double play.
 
The Aggie opponent then added to their total in the second inning as a Pirate batter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home a run. This would bring on a pitching change as Jaileen Mancha entered the game and immediately got the Aggies out of the jam with a pair of consecutive strikeouts. From there, Mancha continued to keep the Aggies in the game as she tallied another two strikeouts while giving up zero hits over the next two innings to leave the deficit at three runs entering the fifth.
 
In the fifth, the Aggies threatened to get one on the board as Savannah Bejarano reached on a bunt single before stealing second and eventually moving over to third. She eventually attempted to come home as Jayleen Burton put a ball in play, however, the Pirate defense was ready as Bejarano was thrown out at home.
 
With the Aggies remaining scoreless, Seton Hall notched its third home run of the day as freshman Katey Brennan hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth to put the Pirates ahead 4-0.
 
The next Aggie at-bat finally produced a run as Dezianna Patmon lifted a double into left center to record her fifth hit of the weekend while bringing home Jillian Taylor. Patmon later crossed home plate herself as she scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kristen Boyd to bring the Aggies within two runs entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Unfortunately, this would be the final run of the game as Seton Hall went on to shut down the Aggie attack in the seventh to secure the win.
 
 
GAME TWO | NM State 0, Ohio State 10
The Aggies' bid for their second win over a Big Ten program this season was shut down almost immediately as Ohio State put up six runs on six hits in the second inning to create an uphill climb for the Crimson and White. In the third inning, the Aggies generated their first scoring opportunity as Kawehi Ili and Kayla Lunar found themselves on second and third, respectively, with only one out down. The chance would slip away for NM State as Ohio State was able to record the final two outs without surrendering a run to maintain the six-run lead.
 
The Buckeyes would later add to their lead as Kirsten Eppele launched a three-run home run over the wall in centerfield to cap off a four-run fourth inning to put NM State in a 10-run hole. This deficit would put Ohio State in position to claim the run-rule victory after five innings of play as Dezianna Patmon and Kawehi Ili would be the lone Aggies to record hits off Buckeye pitcher Julia Miller.