FULLERTON, Calif. Sam Bias hit a grand slam and Katie Holverson struck out 11 in a complete-game effort as Nevada won its third straight with a 5-1 victory over Auburn in the first game of the DeMarini Invitational.
Nevada improved to 10-7 on the year while Auburn fell 14-3. Nevada will be back in action at 6 p.m. tonight against Minnesota.
Bias’s third home run of the season and second grand slam of her career came in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Noelle Micka walked and Brittany Puzey reached on a single to left. After Britton Murdock singled to right to load the bases, Kelsey Starr struck out to bring Bias to the plate. She took Jenee Loree’s second offering and deposited it over the left-field fence to give Nevada a 4-0 lead.
The grand slam is the 12th in Nevada softball history (since the program was reinstated in 2003). Bias also recorded a grand slam in a 13-10 win over Hawaii in 2008. Nevada has never lost a game in which a Pack player hits a grand slam.
Nevada starter Katie Holverson (6-4) hit the first batter and then gave up a single to give Auburn two on with nobody out in the top of the first inning. But the junior struck out the next two batters and then got out of the inning with a ground ball to shortstop. After the single, Holverson faced just one over the minimum (a walk) until the sixth.
Sophomore Noelle Micka extended her career-best hit streak to 14 games with a double in the fifth inning. She scored on a single up the middle by Britton Murdock that made it 5-0 and chased Loree. But the Tiger’s Anna Thompson came on and got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam and hold Nevada’s lead at 5-0.
Auburn got one back in the sixth as Holverson hit the first batter and then gave up a double to Kyndell White. Lauren Guzman later delivered a two-out single up the middle to cut Nevada’s lead to 5-1.
NOTES: Sam Bias, a junior, moved into a tie for fourth place in career home runs at Nevada as she has now hit 18 in her career (tied with Cindy Elkins, 2003-06) ... Brittany Puzey moved into a tie for third in career games played at Nevada as she played her 203rd career game (tied with Kristin Stith, 2004-08) ... Katie Holverson is now tied for second at Nevada in career games started with 63 (tied with Candice Rainwater, 2003-06)
