RENO, Nev. – A Sadaria McAlister walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh lifted the Nevada softball team over Utah State to clinch the series on Friday. The Pack dropped the first game of Friday's double-header, 6-3.
Freshman Chelie Senini paced Nevada in the first game, going 3-for-4 with two runs. The Pack also saw production from Lauren Gutierrez, Ashley Salausa and Kenzi Goins, who each recorded one hit and an RBI. Sierra Mello and Haley Burda also recorded one hit.
Freshman Blake Craft (7-5) picked up the loss in game one. In two innings of work, Craft gave up five runs on six hits. Junior Julia Jensen (2-1) threw the game's final four innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out two.
In game two, Nevada was powered offensively by Sadaria McAlister, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and the game-winning home run. Nevada had multi-hit performances from Haley Burda and Sierra Mello, who both went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Senior Kenzi Goins also starred for the Pack, going 1-for-2 with two runs. Chelie Senini, Ashley Salausa and Danielle Lew each registered a hit.
Pitcher Blake Craft secured the game two win, giving up two hits and zero runs throughout the final five innings.
HEAR FROM SADARIA MCALISTER
"It's a great feeling to take the series from Utah State. Today's win was big for us. Hitting the walk-off was exciting for me, but being able to celebrate with my teammates was even better."
How It Happened
GAME 1
Nevada struck an early lead on Gutierrez's RBI single through the left side to score Senini from second. The, Goins' sac-fly to deep right plated McAlister from third to push Nevada's lead to 2-0.
Utah State responded with a pair of runs to tie the game in the top of the second.
The Aggies extended their lead to three in the third.
Both teams were held in the fourth and fifth.
The Pack cut Utah State's lead to 5-3 on Salausa's RBI single through the left side, scoring Senini.
The Aggies added an additional run in the sixth.
GAME 2
Utah State got on board first, grabbing an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
McAlister got Nevada going in the bottom of the first on a single to second. Then, McAlister stole second to put a Nevada runner in scoring position. Salausa's RBI single to right scored McAlister and advanced Goins to third. Next, Burda's RBI single up the middle plated Goins from third to cut Utah State's lead. Mello stepped to the plate and ripped an RBI single to left to tie the game at three.
Both teams recorded 1-2-3 innings in the second.
Utah State put together a trio of home runs in the third to regain a 6-3 lead.
Nevada answered back in the bottom of the third, pushing two runs across to cut the Aggie lead to one.
Both teams were held in the fourth through sixth inning.
Nevada saw life in the bottom of the seventh on Senini's single to short. Then, McAlister's two-run walk-off to center secured Nevada's victory.
UP NEXT
The Pack hits the road to Albuquerque, N.M., for a three-game series against the Lobos on April 10-11.
