RENO, Nev. – After falling in the opening game of the series by a score of 8-3, the Nevada softball team came back to defeat the San José Spartans, 7-6, in walk-off fashion on Sunday. After Sunday's games, the Wolf Pack sits at 17-17 on the season and 6-5 during Mountain West play as this marks the second year in a row that Nevada has won a game in walk-off style on Jayme King Day.
With the first game of the series being resumed from Friday due to weather, Nevada began the day ahead by a run entering the top of the second. After the Spartans (25-10, 9-1 MW) came out and plated a pair of runs to take a one-run lead of their own, the Pack quickly bounced back in the bottom of the second and tied the score at two, after sophomore
Haley Burda brought home her sophomore counterpart
Kwynn Warner.
Following back-to-back scoreless innings from freshman
Julia Jensen, SJSU went on to score six unanswered runs to claim a six-run lead heading into second half of the sixth. Senior
Erika Hansen led the inning off with her 11
th home run of the season to trim the Spartan lead to five. The home run also marked Hansen's team-high 37
th RBI of the season.
Nevada made a case for a comeback bid in the bottom of the seventh, having loaded the bases with two outs but the Pack's offense was unable to cross the plate as San José State took the first game of the series by a score of 8-3.
Following a ceremony in between games that honored former Wolf Pack softball player Jayme King, Nevada quickly jumpstarted itself having scored twice in the bottom of the first to claim an early 2-0 advantage. After sophomore
Sadaria McAlister leading things off with a walk, sophomore
Kenzi Goins singled her home with a base-hit down the right field line. The Pack' second run of the game came off a sacrifice fly and RBI from Warner that scored Hansen.
With Nevada holding a three-run lead heading into the third, the Spartans (25-11, 9-2 MW) knotted the score with one swing of the bat as a three-run home run from them tied the score at three. The Pack responded well though, scoring another pair in the bottom of third as a two-run blast from Goins put Nevada back ahead by two, 5-3.
In the top of the fourth, SJSU proceeded to score three more runs and reclaim a 6-5 lead but that never stopped the Pack from making it an exciting game for its home crowd at Hixson Park. After a lead-off double in the sixth from Burda, back-to-back sacrifice plays from Nevada scored
Syrina Vasquez, who pinch ran for Burda, and tied the game at six a piece.
In the bottom of the seventh, senior
Aaliyah Gibson reached on an error, allowing her to swipe second for her third stolen base of the season. Freshman
Jessica Sellers then stepped up to the plate with two outs and took a 2-1 pitch to right field, scoring Gibson from second as Nevada walked off with the 7-6 victory.
Should the third game of the series be necessary, that final contest will be made up on a date to be determined later. Up next, the Wolf Pack will travel to San Diego, California for a three-game set with San Diego State April 13-15.
