New Mexico State, UTEP compete in CUSA softball tourney in Las Cruces.
New Mexico State opened up the Conference USA Softball Tournament in dramatic fashion on Wednesday at the NM State Softball Complex.
Left-handed batter Jillian Taylor hit an opposite field homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to give the Aggies a 6-5 win against Jacksonville State in the opening game of the tourney.
"I was just looking to make good contact and get on base to keep the inning going," Taylor said. "We kept fighting hard."
The Aggies are the No. 4 seed in the double elimination tourney and Jacksonville State is the fifth seed.
The Aggies advance to meet top-seeded Liberty at noon Thursday.
New Mexico State led 3-0 entering the top of the sixth but Jacksonville State scored five runs to go up 5-3.
However, the Aggies tied it in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back solo homers by El Paso native Desirae Spearman and Dezianna Patmon. Spearman, who was named the CUSA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, drove in two runs and reached base three times.
"Jillian is a great leader for us," Aggies coach Kathy Rodolph said. "Before the game, I asked the team to give everything they had and she pledged the same."
Wednesday's win was Rodolph's 800th win as a college coach.
UTEP loses opener
UTEP lost its first game of the tourney, 2-0, to Louisiana Tech. UTEP managed three hits against Bulldogs starter Brook Melnychuk. The Bulldogs scored runs in the second and fourth innings on RBI base hits by Kate Cooper.
Chapin graduate Lexi Morales and Eastlake alum Autumn Scott each had hits for the Miners.
UTEP pitcher Faith Aragon pitched six innings, scattered six hits and struck out three.
Miners keep season alive
The Miners rallied from a 6-0 deficit to win 7-6 and eliminate Jacksonville State in the final game on Wednesday night.
The Miners will play at 5 p.m. Thursday vs. NMSU or Liberty in an elimination game. NMSU and Liberty play at noon on Thursday. UTEP is seeded No. 6 in the tourney.
The last time the Miners advanced in the conference tournament was in 2016, coincidentally through another rallying effort.
UTEP scored four runs in the sixth and three in the seventh to win. Ashlynn Allen drove in the winning run in the seventh with a single.
In the sixth, Anna Sample drilled a 3-run homer to pull the Miners within 6-4. Zaylie Calderon was the winning pitcher. She struckout Savannah Jessee with two runners on base to wnd the game.
Morales had a big game for UTEP with two doubles, a walk and two runs scored.
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Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; Fchavezeptimes on X
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: NMSU wins CUSA Softball Tourney opener on Jillian Taylor home run
