RENO, Nev.
—Despite a late comeback from San Diego State (13-7), the Nevada softball team (11-7) held on to defeat the Aztecs, 9-8, in the series finale on Sunday. Nevada moves its conference record to 2-1.
Freshman
Blake Craft recorded the win in the circle for the Pack. In five innings of work, Craft tallied two strikeouts and gave up eight runs on 11 hits. Sophomore
Kendall Fritz recorded her third save of the season after throwing 1.1 innings and giving up zero runs on one hit.
Nevada was led offensively by freshman
Chelie Senini, who went 2-for-3 with two runs. Nevada saw production from junior
Lauren Gutierrez, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI, including a two-RBI double to left in the third. Senior
Sierra Mello registered her fifth career home run on a three-run shot in the third. Freshman
Sam Oliver also starred, notching her first-career home run on a solo shot to right.
Ashley Salausa,
Haley Burda and
Sadaria McAlister each chipped in with one hit.
HEAR FROM SIERRA MELLO
"Today's game was a huge team win for Nevada softball. Our pitching held strong for the weekend, and our defense played well. We had some very clutch at-bats this weekend, too. We're going into the right direction as we continue conference play."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both programs were held scoreless in the first.
SDSU pushed three runs across in the second after a three-run home. Nevada answered back in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded walk by McAlister, scoring Mello from third to cut the Aztecs lead.
Nevada took the lead permanently in the third when Mello's three-run home run to left center. Following Mello, Oliver sent a solo shot over right field to push Nevada's lead to 5-3. Gutierrez's two-RBI double to left scored Senini and McAlister to extend the Pack's lead to 7-3.
The Pack added a run in the fourth on a wild pitch that scored Salausa from third.
SDSU answered back in the top of the fifth, scoring on a stolen base to chip Nevada's lead to 7-4.
Gutierrez's ground out to short pushed the ninth Wolf Pack run across in the fifth.
SDSU saw its biggest offensive inning of the game in the sixth, scoring four runs.
Nevada worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh to secure its 11th victory of the season.
UP NEXT
Nevada travels to Stockton, Calif., on March 25 for a single game against the Pacific Tigers. Then, Nevada heads to San Jose State for a three-game series against the Spartans on March 27-28.
