LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Aggies officially began their inaugural season as a member of Conference USA as they welcomed Western Kentucky on Friday night at the NM State Softball Complex to commence a three-game series between the new conference foes. Ultimately, the Aggies (10-10, 0-1 CUSA) dropped the conference opener in extra innings – falling 9-1 to the visiting Hilltoppers (14-6-1).
 
Despite tallying seven hits, the Aggies were only able to muster one run during the extended affair – a run that came as a result of a solo home run off the bat of Jillian Taylor. In the circle, Jaileen Mancha threw all nine innings to mark her career high while giving up eight hits and recording four strikeouts.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game began with a pair of scoreless innings which featured just two combined hits. In the third, Jillian Taylor broke the tie as she smashed a solo home run to the deepest part of the field – marking the first of the season for the senior from Albuquerque. With NM State still leading by just one run, Jessica Carreon used her speed to work her way to third base with two outs away, however the inning eventually ended on a rarely seen batter's interference call.
 
With the Aggies unable to capitalize, Western Kentucky quickly found itself in position to tie the game as it loaded the bases with just one out recorded. A sacrifice fly brought in the tying run, but a diving catch in right field by Kristen Boyd put an end to the inning without allowing any additional runs.
 
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Aggies nearly found a way to earn the win as Kayla Lunar tallied her third double of the season, however, the senior was thrown out at third base when trying to extend for an extra bag – leaving the Aggies with no runners on base and two outs away.
 
In extras, both teams failed to make any changes to the scoreboard in the eighth before the Hilltoppers notched the game-winning run on a single through the left side of the infield in the top of the ninth. This marked the Aggies first extra-inning loss of the season after entering the weekend 1-0 in games going beyond seven innings.
 
NUMBERS OF NOTE

• Seven different Aggies recorded a hit in tonight's contest to mark the fourth time they have reached this feat this season.
• Friday marked the sixth straight game in which the Aggies did not play a regularly scheduled seven-inning contest. Tonight's extra-inning game came on the heels of five games that ended due to the run-rule.
• Jillian Taylor's home run is the 19^th of her career and signifies the 62^nd RBI in an Aggie uniform.
• By holding the Hilltoppers to two runs, this marks the eighth time this season that opponents have scored two or fewer runs against the Aggies – a number Aggie opponents eclipsed all but seven times last season.