RENO, Nev.  – In what turned out to be the team's best offensive performance this season, the Nevada softball team cruised its way to a 21-7 win over New Mexico on Sunday. With the win, the Wolf Pack (14-15, 3-3 MW) also claimed its first series victory of the 2018 campaign and evened its conference record.
 
The 21 runs Nevada scored marks a season high and ranks tied for second most in program history. Nevada recorded 18 hits against the Lobos (8-24, 3-3 MW) which ranks fourth most in the program's record book. The Pack also launched four home runs on Sunday, which is tied for the most team home runs by a Mountain West school this season.
 
On the day, senior Erika Hansen put together yet another impressive outing, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, three runs scored and connecting on her 10^th home run of the season. She was joined by junior Alyssa Mendez and sophomores Kenzi Goins and Sadaria McAlister as the players who sent balls over the fence. Goins and McAlister each recorded multiple hits as well.
 
After finding itself down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third, the flood gates opened for Nevada's offense, which scored 13 runs off 11 hits and three home runs as 18 batters came to the plate in the inning. It all began when a bunt single from senior Aaliyah Gibson put a runner on with one out for Hansen who connected on her third home run in as many days.
 
Following a long single from redshirt junior Jennifer Purcell, Goins then stepped in the batter's box and took the first pitch she saw over the fence to give the Pack a 4-2 lead. After a pitching change from the Lobos, Mendez needed just two pitches to record a home run of her own and back-to-back long balls for Nevada.
 
With the Pack the holding a 6-2 advantage, Nevada loaded the bases with just one out for Gibson, whose single through the right side brought home sophomore Sierra Mello from third to give the Pack a five-run lead. Hansen then stepped up and cleared the bases with a double to right field as Nevada stretched its lead to 9-2.
 
The inning was capped off when sophomore Haley Burda came to the plate with the bases loaded and doubled home all three runners, pushing the Pack's lead to 11 runs. When it was all said and done, Nevada batted around twice and posted 13 runs in the third, which is the most runs the team has scored in an inning this season.
 
The offense didn't stop in the third though, as another outpouring in the fourth broke the game wide open for the Pack. After McAlister led the inning off by joining the home run parade, the next four batters reached base to give Nevada a 13-run lead over the Lobos. The Pack would score six more runs in the inning to push its advantage to 19 heading into the fifth.

After New Mexico scored five runs to trim the Pack's lead to 14, a groundout from the Lobos ended the game and sealed the 21-7 victory for Nevada. Up next, Nevada will hit the road and travel to Logan, Utah for a three-game series with Utah State March 29-31.