Box Score April 18, 2015 Box Score
RENO, Nev. -- Senior
Karley Hopkins went 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBI and senior
Megan Dortch tossed five innings of relief to earn the win as the Nevada softball team topped in-state foe UNLV, 10-5, on Saturday afternoon to force a rubber match in the three-game series.
Junior
Amanda Weis drove two runs, senior
Ashley Butera hit her fifth home run of the season and freshman
Alyssa Mendez and junior
Jasmine Jenkins each tallied three hits for the Pack (14-29, 4-10 MW). Three points will be on the line tomorrow in the Governor's Series presented by NV Energy where Nevada holds a 15-12 lead over the Rebels.
After UNLV pushed three runs across through two innings to take an early 3-0 lead, the Pack fought back and tied the game in the bottom of the second. With one out, sophomore
Raquel Martinez led-off the inning with an infield single and moved to second after a walk from sophomore
Nikki Orozco. Martinez then scored on an RBI double from Mendez that cut the Nevada deficit to two, 3-1. Hopkins then knotted it up at 3-3 with a two RBI single to centerfield that sent both Orozco and Mendez to the plate.
In the bottom of the third, after three-consecutive singles from Martinez, Orozco and Mendez, Hopkins delivered again with the go-ahead run plus two more on a triple down the right field line to make 6-3 in favor of the Pack. The triple gave Hopkins her fifth RBI, breaking her previous career-high of four that she did twice in 2013.
Jenkins led-off the bottom of the fourth with an infield single, went to second on a groundout and then scored on an RBI double from Weis that extended the Nevada lead to 7-3.
Dortch came on in relief in the top of the third and she did her job after holding UNLV scoreless through the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the sixth, with the score at 7-4, Jenkins registered her third hit of the afternoon on an opposite-field single to right field. Sweet then scored Jenkins on an RBI double to right-center that gave the Pack an 8-4 lead. After moving to third on the throw from the centerfielder, Sweet scored on an RBI groundout from Weis that made it 9-4 Nevada. To cap off the big inning, Butera made it a 10-4 game after hitting a solo home run to dead-center field.
Dortch allowed a run in the seventh but she recorded the first strikeout of the game on either side for the final out to give Nevada the 10-5 win.
The rubber-match of the three-game series is set for noon tomorrow at Hixson Park.
-- @NevadaWolfPack --
