LAS CRUCES, NM ? One of the new experiences for the CSUB softball team playing at the NCAA Division I level is the opportunity to play in front of a television audience for the first time. The Roadrunners made the most of their small screen debut, coming from behind to defeat New Mexico State 5?3 in eight innings in the opening game of doubleheader Saturday at the NMSU Softball Complex.
Game one was televised on the Fox Sports Arizona affiliate. Game two, which was not broadcast, went to NMSU, 6?2.
Senior outfielder Bethany Snow made an immediate splash with a homerun to leadoff the game. After the Aggies tied the game in the bottom of the first, Heather Veitch's two?out single up the middle drove home Pikake Nutter?Gaudet to put the Roadrunners back on top.
New Mexico State added single runs in the third and fifth innings to reclaim the lead before Kristen Archuleta smacked her first collegiate homerun with one out in the sixth to tie the game at 3?3.
Freshman pitcher Brittany Johnson shut the Aggies out over the final three innings, allowing the 'Runners to complete the comeback when Nutter?Gaudet bounced a two?out, two?run single up the middle following a nine?pitch at bat in the top of the eighth.
The Aggies extracted their revenge in game two by touching CSUB sophomore pitcher Katie Chavez for six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Chavez regained her composure and threw five innings of shutout ball to finish the game, but the potent CSUB offense managed just two runs and six hits of NMSU starter Samantha Dillard.
Nutter?Gaudet continued her torrid hitting run by going 3-for-7 in the doubleheader with a double and her fifth home run of the season. Senior second baseman Cara Klein added two hits in each game for CSUB.
Leftfielder Kristi Randall went 5-for-8 to lead NMSU (23?28 overall). Ashley Maroda hit her 11th homerun of the season for the Aggies in game one.
CSUB (20?20) will close its three?game series at NMSU with a single game Sunday in Las Cruces.
| TEAMS | 123
| 456
| 78
| --
| R
| H
| E
|
CSU Bakersfield
| 110
| 001
| 02
| --
| 5
| 11
| 5
|
New Mexcio State
| 101
| 010
| 00
| --
| 3
| 14
| 0
|
BATTERIES: Johnson and Taylor; Watson, Dillard (6) and Baumhover. WP ? Brittany Johnson (13-9). LP ? Samantha Dillard (3-9).
2B ? Bailey (B), Nutter-Gaudet (B), Veitch (B). HR ? Snow (B, #4), Archuleta (B, #1), Maroda (NM, #11).
TEAMS (RECORDS)
| 123
| 456
| 7
| --
| R
| H
| E
|
CSU Bakersfield (20-20 overall)
| 001
| 100
| 0
| --
| 2
| 6
| 1
|
New Mexico State (23-28 overall)
| 600
| 000
| x
| --
| 6
| 9
| 1
|
BATTERIES: Chavez and Taylor; Dillard and Clifton. WP ? Samantha Dillard (4-9). LP ? Katie Chavez (4-5).
2B ? Kr. Randall (NM), Gastelum (NM). HR ? Nutter-Gaudet (B, #5).
