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Carranza belts three-RBI walk-off home run to seal Aggies’ third straight win.
Source: NMSU Athletics
By Matthew Knope
Photo By Emilio Garcia for NMSU: Courtesy
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Just about everything NM State Softball could have asked for out of its Senior Weekend came to pass. The special series came to a close with a decisive 9-1 victory in five innings over Middle Tennessee. Tamara Carranza was the hero in the fifth, launching a three-run home run to clinch a run-rule win and secure NM State’s second sweep of the season. Desirae Spearman pitched a masterful two-hit complete game, allowing just one run to pass.
The triumph jumped the Crimson & White into fifth place in the Conference USA standings at 12-12. The Aggies are tied with Sam Houston at .500, but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker due to a sweep over the Bearkats last month.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Desirae Spearman got the nod in the circle on Sunday, retiring the Blue Raiders in the opening frame and spoiling a loaded bases opportunity after a trio of walks. In her first at-bat of the contest, the sophomore pitcher capitalized on a 2-1 offering and crushed it to left-center field. The blast cruised over the outfield wall and secured her CUSA-best 18th four-bagger of the season and her first since March 29.
A lightning-fast, five-pitch inning got Spearman quickly out of the circle in the second, but the home side remained quiet in the bottom half. Another smooth outing in the third preceded the two-way star’s second hit of the game. After a long at-bat, Spearman tallied a single to third base, bringing up Riley Carley. In her final home game, the sixth-year Aggie obliterated a pitch over the left-field wall, tripling the lead to 3-0.
In the top of the fourth, Spearman reached top form, punching out the side in order. The first two Blue Raiders went down swinging before the frame’s final out stood looking at strike three. The 2024 CUSA Player of the Year brought her strikeout total to seven through just four innings as the scoreless Blue Raiders sat with just one hit.
Adding to the Aggies’ momentum, Johnna Aragon quickly got aboard with a walk to lead off the bottom of inning four. Payton Nicholson stole second base after she entered to pinch run, eventually trekking to third on a Tamara Carranza hit. Kendal Lunar followed up with a perfectly-placed bunt single that scored Nicholson. Shortly after, Joleeanna Hair made a pinch-running appearance of her own, stealing second base in time for Spearman to inflict more damage. The starting pitcher sent a fly into center field that scored Carranza, placing both her and Hair in scoring position. Lauren Garcia came up to bat next, driving a ball deep to right field to score the Aggies’ sixth run on a sacrifice fly for Hair’s seventh run of her freshman campaign.
A leadoff hit was brought to third base after a pair of wild pitches before MTSU scored its first and only run in the final frame. An unshaken Spearman quickly sat down the final two Blue Raiders of the day, fanning both on swinging misses to tally a near-season high of nine punchouts in just five innings.
A pinch-hitting Taylor Nicholson benefitted from a visiting error to start the fifth inning as her side needed just three runs to clinch a win in a shortened game. Johnna Aragon followed up with her second hit of the weekend, placing two runners aboard and the winning Aggie at the plate. After an empty bunt attempt, true freshman Tamara Carranza dug deep and put her all into the next swing. The 0-1 pitch was sent far into the sky over left field, scoring all three Aggies on the team’s fifth home run of the series. The shortstop picked up her first four-bagger since March 28 and the fourth of her freshman campaign.
NUMBERS OF NOTE
- NM State jumped back into a deadlock for fifth place in the CUSA standings at 12-12, owning a tiebreaker over Sam Houston.
- The Aggies remained within striking distance of 12-10-1 WKU after the Hilltoppers earned a tie in the series finale at FIU due to a predetermined travel stoppage time.
- The Crimson & White improved to 11-24 all-time in matchups with the Blue Raiders, holding a 9-12 record in Las Cruces.
- After 25 days without a single such outing, the Aggie bats produced their third straight performance of five or more runs on Sunday.
- NM State jumped to 8-4 on Saturdays this year, including a 4-3 mark in CUSA play.
- The Crimson & White posted their 12th game with 11 or more hits this season and their fifth in CUSA play.
- Three Aggies posted multiple hits on Sunday. Tamara Carranza and Kristiana Watson each tallied a pair while Spearman led the way with three in what was her fourth three-hit game.
- Kristiana Watson’s two singles landed the first baseman her 13th multi-hit outing of 2025.
- Freshman Tamara Carranza’s walk-off home run was her second hit of the day, granting the shortstop her fifth career multi-hit outing.
- Carranza picked up her second three-RBI day, matching her three-run shot in the opener against Sam Houston last month.
- Desirae Spearman notched her first home run in nearly a month and her 12th multi-RBI game of 2025.
- Riley Carley tallied her fourth showing with multiple RBIs with a third-inning long ball.
- After a season-high three stolen bases on Saturday, the Aggies swiped another two on Sunday.
- Entering the weekend, NM State had just three games with multiple stolen bases, but have now done so in two straight outings.
- Entering Friday night’s sixth inning, the Aggies were on a nearly 10-game stretch in which they had scored just 12 total runs. In their 13 offensive innings since, the squad has tallied 19 runs while holding MTSU to just three.
- Riley Carley’s third-inning home run was the third of this campaign season and the 32nd of her career, capping off the Tucson, Ariz., native’s final home game on a high note.
FROM THE FIELD
Head Coach Kathy Rodolph, on the win: “Well, I think they’re seeing themselves as hitters again. They’re seeing the possibilities of what can happen and taking what is coming to them in the game. With our pitchers holding down the runs, we’re not pressing nearly as much at the plate. It was a total team effort when you look at defense, you look at the offense and you look at the pitching. If we just play our way, we can go into the tournament as the hottest team in the conference. During a season, there will always be ups and downs. Depending on when the down happens dictates what the season is going to be about. Now, we’re coming back through it all and seeing what we’re capable of.”
Freshman shortstop Tamara Carranza, on her walk-off home run: “We went into that inning with the mindset to just come out swinging and end the game. I was just trying to get a hit, because while I didn’t necessarily have the best weekend, I felt more comfortable at the plate today. It was my first time facing that pitcher, so I didn’t think it was going to be me that ended [the game], but I’m obviously happy I could do it.”
UP NEXT
While they’ve completed their home slate, the Aggies’ season is far from over. Next weekend, NM State will travel to Georgia for a three-game bout at Kennesaw State. The Crimson & White look to continue momentum in their season finale and secure a spot in the CUSA Championship. First pitch against the Owls (11-39, 2-22) is set for 4:00 p.m. MT (6:00 p.m. local) on Friday, May 2. All the action will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via nmstatestats.com.
For complete coverage of NM State Softball during the 2025 season, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of the Aggies – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Softball), Twitter (@NMStateSoftball) and Instagram (@NMStateSoftball).
