HAYWARD, Calif. The Nevada softball team improved to 15-8 overall with wins over Tennessee State and Cal on Saturday at the National Invitational Softball Tournament hosted by San Jose State.
The Wolf Pack has now won three games in a row and will conclude play at the tournament on Sunday when it faces Boston College.
Against Tennessee State, Nevada put up five runs in the second inning and Richelle Villescas tossed her third complete game of the season in the 6-0 victory.
Freshman Noelle Micka delivered a two-run single in the second inning to open the scoring. Junior Brittany Puzey then cranked a two-run double and scored on the same play on an error by the Tigers to make it 5-0 Nevada.
Villescas, meanwhile, was cruising. The senior improved to 3-0 on the year with a complete-game four-hitter. She walked just one and struck out five to get the shutout.
Against Cal, Nevada exploded offensively and needed just five innings to secure a 10-2 victory over a Golden Bear team that is receiving votes in both national Top 25 rankings.
The Pack opened the scoring with a two-run double by Micka in the second inning but Cal tied it in the top of the third with a pair of unearned runs off of Jordan McPherson.
Nevada broke the game open in the bottom of the third, however. After Britton Murdock and Kelsey Starr walked, sophomore Sam Bias cranked a three-run home run to make it 5-2. Freshman Danielle Patrick later delivered a two-run home run in the inning and Kym Silagyi added a two-run single. When the dust cleared, Nevada had a 10-2 lead and the score would not change.
McPherson gave up just four hits while striking out one and walking one to improve to 6-5 on the season.
