STOCKTON, Calif. – After opening up the Libby Matson Tournament on Friday, the Nevada softball team bounced back on Saturday to earn a pair of wins. The Wolf Pack's 8-1 win over Seattle U and 6-2 victory over Northern Colorado improves Nevada's record to 5-9 on the season.
Nevada saw major contributions in all facets of the game on Saturday as the Pack's offense, defense and pitching helped lead to the two victories. Over the course of both games, Nevada batted .351 (20-for-51), executed multiple highlight plays in the field and allowed just three runs and 10 hits.
The Pack began its day with an offensive explosion against the Redhawks (8-5) after putting up four runs in the top of the first. Sophomore
Sadaria McAlister began the game with a double to right field, which was followed by a walk from freshman
Liz Cartwright. After sophomore
Kenzi Goins singled up the middle to bring around McAlister, senior
Erika Hansen launched a rocket over the right field wall for a three-run home run and a 4-0 Nevada lead.
Seattle U responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning, but Nevada bounced right back in the top of the second, courtesy of another RBI from Hansen that brought home Cartwright to push the Pack's advantage back to four runs.
With Nevada holding on to a four-run lead entering the sixth, three unanswered runs from the Pack would push its advantage to 8-1, which proved to be all that freshman
Julia Jensen needed to help lead her team to the win. Jensen finished the game surrendering just one run over four hits and struck out six batters in the process. In two games against Seattle U this season, Jensen has held the Redhawks to five hits and a 0.51 ERA over 13.2 innings pitched.
In the Pack's second game against the Bears (6-7), Nevada's found itself in a 1-0 hole after Northern Colorado took its one-run lead into the bottom of the third, but Nevada didn't back down from the challenge. After sophomore
Sierra Mello led off the inning with a single to centerfield, Cartwright drove her home with a single of her own to tie the score at one. The RBI marked the first of Cartwright's career, who finished the day 3-for-5 with three runs scored and four walks in her collegiate debut.
The top of the fourth saw the Bears threaten to reclaim the led with a runner at second but junior
Kali Sargent's fourth strikeout of the game ended the threat as well as the inning. Nevada would claim its first lead of the game courtesy of a leadoff solo home run from Hansen that ignited the Pack's offense for a pair of runs.
After freshman
Jessica Sellers followed the homer a base hit, sophomore
Haley Burda doubled home Sellers to stretch the Nevada to lead 3-1. Northern Colorado tacked on another run in the fifth, which would result in Jensen coming out of the bullpen to relieve Sargent, who finished the game striking out five batters and allowing two runs over 4.1 innings pitched.
Jensen came in and tossed 2.2 innings of relief, where she too struck out five batters to help Nevada seal the 6-2 win over the Bears. The Pack concludes its weekend at the Libby Matson Tournament on Sunday with a matchup against Pacific at 12:15 p.m. PT.
