Box Score May 14, 2016 Box Score
LOGAN, Utah - The Nevada softball team wrapped up one of its most successful seasons since joining the Mountain West on Saturday as the Wolf Pack took the rubber match of a three-game series over Utah State, 4-3, to finish 32-15 overall and 10-10 in the Mountain West.
The hero of the day was sophomore Aaliyah Gibson who went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the fifth and made a sliding catch in center field to record the final out. Freshman Brooke Bolinger tossed a complete game with eight strikeouts to earn her 16th victory of the season for the Wolf Pack.
After Bolinger fanned two in the bottom of the fourth, the Pack picked up its starter in the visiting half of the fifth. Junior Nikki Orozco led-off the inning with a double down the left field line and later advanced to third on a wild pitch after a walk from sophomore Amanda Nicholas. With runners on the corners, senior Hannah Harger dropped an RBI single to left to get the Pack on the board.
The next batter was Gibson, who stepped to the plate and sent a 3-1 pitch over the left-center field fence that gave her team a 4-3 lead.
The rest of the game was all Bolinger as the freshman blanked the Aggies in the final four innings and tallied four her eight Ks in those frames.
The Aggies plated two runs in the second and another on a solo home run in the bottom half of the third. After those runs, the Wolf Pack pieced together its big inning.
The Pack's 32 victories marked the second-most of the Matt Meuchel era behind the 2009 team's 40 wins. Nevada will also finish in a tie for third place in the Mountain West, its highest finish since joining the league in 2013. Overall, Nevada posted a 19 game improvement over last season.
-- @NevadaWolfPack --
