DAVIS, Calif. The Nevada softball team got a big boost from sophomore Katie Holverson en route to a doubleheader sweep at UC Davis on Thursday.
Holverson came on in the seventh inning to record her fourth save of the season in the first game, a 6-4 victory. Then she tossed a complete-game three-hitter in Nevada’s 9-1 win in the second game.
The wins run Nevada’s winning streak to a season-high six games as the Wolf Pack, 18-8 overall on the season, gears up for the Capital Classic that begins Friday in Sacramento, Calif.
In game one, the teams battled back and forth throughout the game. UC Davis struck first with a run in the first inning. Nevada tied it in the second inning when Kelsey Starr reached on an error, advanced to second when Sam Bias walked, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch.
The Aggies took a 2-1 lead in the third inning. But Nevada came back to tie it in the fifth when Britton Murdock belted a two-out double and later scored on an infield single by Bias.
The Pack plated four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 6-2 lead and looked to be in control behind senior starter Jordan McPherson. But the Aggies scored two quick runs off McPherson and Holverson came on in relief. She struck out the first batter and got the second to hit a comebacker to end the game.
McPherson improved to 7-5 on the year with the victory. Bias went 2-for-3 with two RBI while Kym Silagyi added three hits for the Pack.
In game two, Holverson dominated the six-inning victory. She struck out a career-best 11 batters, gave up just three hits and one run while walking just one.
Silagyi slapped a two-run double in the third inning to open the scoring and Bias hit a two-run triple in the fourth to make it 4-0. Brittany Puzey and Murdock each had a run-scoring hit in the fifth inning and Kelsey Starr delivered the big blow in the four-run inning, a two-run homer.
Holverson improved to 8-3 on the year and lowered her ERA to 2.08.
Nevada will take on No. 19/21 Ohio State at 10 a.m. on Friday and will then meet Colorado State at 12:30 p.m.
