RENO, Nev. – The Nevada softball team came back from four runs down to tie the game against San Jose State but the Wolf Pack fell short in eight innings, 7-6.
The Pack and the Spartans will play a doubleheader Saturday at Hixson Park beginning at 1 p.m.
Nevada fell to 14-17 overall and 1-5 in the WAC.
Nevada jumped out in front with a run in the first in the first inning. With one out, Danielle Patrick drew a walk. After Britton Murdock popped out, Kelsey Starr drilled a double to the gap in right center, scoring Patrick all the way from first.
Darby tossed hitless ball into the third with Morgan Otto got San Jose State’s first hit and run with a solo home run to left center. That tied the game at 1.
The Spartans took the lead with four runs in the fifth. Alyssa Sulay homered to lead off the inning. Then a pair of Wolf Pack errors opened the door for three unearned runs as San Jose State took a 5-1 lead.
Nevada came back in the sixth inning. With one out, Britton Murdock doubled and Kelsey Starr walked. After Lauren Lastrapes grounded into a fielder’s choice that forced Murdock at third, Sam Puzey slammed a double to the gap in right center that scored Starr and Lastrapes, which cut the deficit to 5-3.
The Pack continued the comeback in the seventh as Amanda Nims led off with a pinch-hit single and Kortnee Wiley followed with a double. After Sam Bias struck out, Danielle Patrick delivered a two-run single to right to tie the game at 5 and send it to extra innings.
But BranDee Garcia hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth that proved to be the difference in the game as SJSU took a 7-5 lead at the time.
In the bottom of the eighth, Lauren Lastrapes led off with a solo home run to cut the Spartan lead to 7-6. But Puzey struck out looking and Megan Fincher flew out to deep center before Justine Cooper struck out to end the game.
Nevada played without junior catcher Noelle Micka, who missed the first game of her career due to injury. That ended a string of 151 consecutive starts. Junior Justine Cooper made her first career start in Micka’s absence.
