LAS VEGAS – The Nevada softball team opened its weekend at the Desert Classic, where the Wolf Pack began the three-day event splitting its games against UTEP (1-5) and Cal State Northridge (2-4). After the two games on Friday, Nevada sits at 3-4 and on the season.
 
On the day, the Pack continued to show off its prolific offense, collecting a total of 19 hits and three home runs amongst the two games. Sophomore Kenzi Goins was responsible for all of the Pack's runs in the 6-2 win over UTEP, as she posted a career-high five RBIs to go along with a run scored. Her sophomore counterpart Jyllian Ahart went 4-for-7 on the day and was Nevada's only player to record multiple hits in the 8-6 loss to CSUN.
 
Nevada began the day jumping out to an early 2-0 lead over the Miners in the top of the first, which was jumpstarted by sophomore Sadaria McAlister leading the game off with a double in the leftfield gap. After she scored on a Goins groundout, senior Erika Hansen brought home junior Ali Tedford with a single through the right side to give Nevada the two-run advantage.
 
In the top of the third, sophomore Kwynn Warner began the inning with a base hit to the third baseman that she hustled out for the single. Goins then stepped up to the plate and launched an opposite field home run over the fence to push the Pack's lead to 4-0. The home run marked Goins' second long ball of the year.
 
After Warner walked to load the bases in fourth, Goins came into the batter's box and singled to right field that scored both Ahart and junior Alyssa Mendez. The Miners did their best to fight back, crossing the plate two times to trim Nevada's lead to 6-2, but freshman Julia Jensen shut down UTEP to help the Wolf Pack seal the four-run victory. In the win, Jensen tossed a complete game with seven strikeouts and five hits.
 
The Pack's second game of the day found Nevada down 3-0 against CSUN midway through the third inning but a monster bottom half of the frame gave Nevada a one-run lead. With sophomore Sierra Mello on third base, senior Erika Hansen ripped a double to the left field corner to score Nevada's first run of the game.
 
The inning continued when Mendez singled home Hansen for Nevada's third run of the frame. After a passed ball that advanced Mendez to second, Ahart drove her home to cap off the four-run, four-hit inning to give the Pack a 4-3 heading into the fourth.
 
Nevada maintained its one-run lead until senior Aaliyah Gibson connected on a solo shot to center field, extending the Pack's lead to two runs. The Matadors responded with a loud top half of the sixth that included a four-run inning of their own, to reclaim a 7-5 advantage. Nevada didn't go away quietly though as freshman Jessica Sellers hit her second home run of the season to bring the Wolf Pack back to within one, but a run from CSUN in the top of the seventh proved to be the difference as the Matadors took the 8-6 win.
 
Up next, the Pack will square up against its first Power-5 opponent of the season, when Nevada faces Iowa State on Saturday for the second day of the Desert Classic. That game with the Cyclones is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. PT.