The Troy Cox Classic got off to a rough start for the New Mexico State softball team with Friday’s games getting rained out and last night’s games both being close losses, but the Aggies ended the weekend on a positive note, winning Sunday morning 2-1 against Boston University.

NMSU (3-3) wasted no time getting out in front, with 2017 WAC Player of the Year Kelsey Horton blasting a leadoff home run way out of right field for the game’s first at bat. Fahren Glackin would tack on another run later in the inning with an RBI single that brought Rachel Rodriguez home for the Aggies, capping off the strong start at the plate.

The Aggies were unable to score again, highlighting the offensive struggles that plagued NMSU throughout the weekend, but the combined pitching of Kayla Green and Samaria Diaz and strong fielding by the defense is what closed the deal, allowing only one run and forcing the Terriers to leave eight runners on base.

“I believe that defense is played with your heart and that your desire and will to go the extra mile and get a ball wherever it’s hit is kind of the difference,” head coach Kathy Rodolph said while reflecting on her team’s impressive performance in the field. “I’m very very proud on how we’re working on defense, and I believe that we’re working hard on offense — our mindset has flipped a little bit to pressing versus just staying within our process.”

Rodolph has historically been a very successful offensive coach and the Aggies returned almost the entire team that averaged over five runs a game last year, so NMSU’s only scoring five runs in their three games in the tournament is definitely out of the ordinary.

Even with the two losses, though, this weekend was far from a poor showing for NMSU.

Ball State only defeated NMSU by one run in Saturday’s early game and the Aggies managed to hold No. 1 ranked Oklahoma to two runs, which is as close to a “moral victory” as a team can get.

“I felt like we were absolutely able to hold our own, but [losing] can make you play a little more tentative,” Rodolph said. “Luckily for us, our pitchers kept us in ball games and gave us a chance to win all weekend long. Offensively, we had some kids that really sparked but we just weren’t able to string it together… these tournaments are just a good indicator for where we currently are [as a team].”

NMSU will travel to El Paso this Tuesday, Feb. 20 to take on UTEP for the team’s first away game of the season before ramping that road schedule with the UTEP Tournament next weekend.