Box Score April 2, 2017
FRESNO, Calif. - In the rubber match of the three-game series between the Nevada softball team and Fresno State, the Wolf Pack downed the Bulldogs by a score of 7-4 on Sunday afternoon. With the victory, the Pack wins its first Mountain West series of its 2017 campaign as the win also marks the first series win over the Bulldogs since the 2014 season.
On the day, the Pack (18-15, 4-5 MW) was led by its one through five hitters as they combined to go 8-for-17 on the afternoon, driving in all seven runs for Nevada. In the circle, senior McKenna Isenberg went the distance for the 11th time this season, which helped her earn win number 10 on the year, where she struck out eight batters in the process.
The game began in a pitching battle between Isenberg and the Bulldogs' (24-15, 5-4 MW) Kamalani Dung as the two hurlers kept the opposition scoreless through the first two innings of play. However, in the top of the third, the Pack broke through first and scored three times in the inning to take a 3-0.
After freshman Haley Burda got the inning going by reaching base on an error, freshman Sienna Swain singled to leftfield to put two runners on for junior Erika Hansen who doubled home freshman Sadaria McAlister, who pinch ran for Burda, and Swain with a shot to right center. With the two runs cashed in, senior Nikki Orozco drove home Hansen after a base knock of her own.
Fresno State never backed down though, scoring two runs over the next two innings to close Nevada's lead to just one run, heading into the fifth inning. The Pack responded with a run of its own in the top of the inning, courtesy of a sacrifice fly and RBI from Orozco that brought home senior Raquel Martinez.
With the Pack holding just a two-run lead entering the final inning, Nevada tacked on three more insurance runs to push its lead to 7-2. The inning started with Swain drawing a walk, which Hansen followed with by collecting her second hit of the day, setting the stage for freshman Kenzi Goins who connected on the first home run of her career, pushing the Wolf Pack's lead to 7-2.
As Nevada entered the bottom of the seventh with a five-run lead, Fresno State fought back to score two runs in the inning and narrow the Pack's advantage to just three runs. After the Bulldogs scored their second run of the inning, Isenberg bounced back to retire the next batter she saw and help Nevada seal the 7-4 win over Fresno State.
Nevada will be back on the field April 7-9 as the team travels to Albuquerque, N.M. to compete in a three-game series against New Mexico.
