LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Nevada softball team ripped a pair of grand slams and got two quality starts from its pitching staff in sweeping a doubleheader from New Mexico State on Friday at the NMSU Softball Complex.
With the wins, Nevada improved to 16-19 overall and 3-7 in WAC play. NMSU fell to 19-21 and 1-10. The Wolf Pack will go for the series sweep on Saturday at 1 p.m. (PDT) with the radio broadcast (1450 AM) beginning at 12:45 p.m.
After winning 8-6 in game one, Nevada got a dominating performance by Katie Holverson in a 7-2 game two win.
The Wolf Pack scratched across a run in the second inning as Kelsey Starr doubled and scored on a single by Lauren Lastrapes.
That 1-0 pitching duel between Holverson and NMSU’s Carissa Thies continued until the sixth, when the Pack broke things wide open.
Amanda Nims pinch hit and singled. She then scored on an odd play – Nims broke broke for second on a passed ball and the catcher’s throw went to the fence in right center, allowing Nims to score all the way from first.
After singles by Noelle Micka and Sam Bias, Britton Murdock was hit by a pitch. Kelsey Starr then drew a four-pitch walk to score Micka and make it 3-1. Lauren Lastraped then hit her first career grand slam to make it 7-0.
Holverson struck out five in earning her first WAC win of the season with a three-hitter.
Danielle Patrick singled in the seventh to extend her hitting streak to 11 games.
In game one, Darby gave a strong effort in earning every bit of a complete game victory. The sophomore went seven innings and gave up six runs – five earned – on nine hits but pitched effectively throughout to improve to 10-8 on the year.
The Aggies jumped out with two runs in the first on a two-run home run by Tiare Jennings.
But the Wolf Pack came right back in the top of the second inning and answered in a big way. With one out, Kelsey Starr crushed a double to left center and Lauren Lastrapes followed with a double to center to score Starr. After a Sam Puzey groundout, Megan Fincher singled to score Lastrapes and Nevada tied the game at 2. Kortnee Wiley then drew a walk and Noelle Micka walked to load the bases.
Danielle Patrick then delivered her first career grand slam to give the Pack a 6-2 lead.
New Mexico State battled back, however. The Aggies scored once in the third and once in the fourth to cut Nevada’s lead to 6-4.
In the fifth, however, Britton Murdock gave Darby some insurance runs with a two-run home run to right field.
New Mexico State got one back in the bottom of the fifth and then scored one more in the seventh but they would get no closer as
Darby shut the door to get the victory.
