A colorful blue and orange New Mexico sunset welcomed New Mexico State softball and then Nebraska Huskers to the plate for the second contest of the day at the 2024 Troy Cox Classic. The Aggies looked to pull off a clean sweep but fell short after six scoreless innings, giving the Huskers the 4-1 victory. The Aggies’ first 3-0 win in the morning marked their first triumph over the Power Five opponent but the Huskers refused to go down quietly.
The Aggies began the top of the first with a cohesive defensive performance as freshman powerhouse Desire Spearman fired a throw from shortstop to sophomore catcher Kendal Lunar to tag the running Husker at home plate. Preventing the run gave the Aggies the momentum they needed heading into the bottom half where Spearman nailed a home run over left field to get the Aggies on the scoreboard.
Spearman, the much-anticipated recruit from El Paso, was named Conference USA Freshman of the week on Feb. 12. Spearman was the first player in program history to receive a Conference USA award during the regular season.
The Huskers responded in the top of the second with an RBI double from Alina Felix to earn their first run of the day, tying the game at a run apiece. In the bottom, the Aggies were stumped at the plate with an immediate strikeout and several following hits sent into the parking lot. Fortunately, no car windows were broken in the process.
The Huskers were able to respond to the Aggies, as a double from Nebraska’s Alina Felix plated the first run, tying the game 1-1 at the end of the second.
The third inning brought a string of successful runs for the Huskers with several batters getting on base. In an attempt to halt their momentum, the Aggies brought in junior pitcher Jaileen Mancha replacing senior starter Emily Dix.
Mancha quickly got the ball rolling, catching the Huskers off guard after she prepped for a fastball pitch but slowed down the release. Before the Aggies could secure three outs, the Huskers added two more runs for a 3-1 lead. After a strikeout, pop up and ground out in the bottom, the Aggies desperately needed to piece together a run in the fourth.
After three scoreless innings on both sides, the Huskers came into the top of the seventh looking to make a statement and did so with a homerun from Brooke Andrews. After the Aggies were three up and three down in the bottom half, the contest finished with the Huskers taking home the 4-1 victory.
The Aggies continued the tournament recording an 8-7 eight-inning win over the Montana Grizzlies but fell to the Sacramento State Hornets 20-10 on Saturday. Returning to the field on Monday, the Aggies capped off the tournament defeating the North Dakota Hawks 2-1.
Sitting at a 5-1 record, the Aggies will now travel to Phoenix, Arizona for the Arizona State and Grand Canyon Tournament. The Aggies will kick off play against the Utah Valley Wolverines on Friday, Feb. 23 at 11 a.m. followed by Grand Canyon Antelopes at 4 p.m. Updates will be posted on the official NMSU Athletics page.
