MELISSA, Texas - Nevada softball picked up its first win of the season, and first under head coach Linda Garza, Friday at the Tracy Beard Classic, defeating Montana, 2-1, in the day's finale.

Freshman Ellie Garcia struck out nine Lady Griz batters and scattered five hits to pick up the win, making second-inning RBI singles from Aaliyah Jenkins and Gennah Sanchez hold up.

Earlier in the day, Nevada was denied its first win by a pair of bottom-of-the-seventh solo home runs from Abilene Christian, in a 4-3 loss.

The Pack (1-6) continues play in Texas with two more Saturday, facing host North Texas at 12:30 p.m. PT before a rematch with Montana at 3 p.m. PT.

Abilene Christian 4, Nevada 3
The celebration of Jessica Sellers' two-run, go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh was short-lived for Nevada, as Abilene Christian's Shaylee Alani and Avery Miloch went back-to-back in the bottom half to beat the Pack, 4-3.

Nevada took an early 1-0 lead thanks to a pair of Wildcat errors in the first. Chelie Senini led off the game reaching on an error, and, after stealing second, came all the way around on the errant throw from behind the plate.

Sydney Kaiser put the Wildcats in front with a two-run homer in the fifth, just the third hit given up at the time by Pack starter Blake Craft.

Craft gave up just six hits, but three were of the four-bag variety, and struck out nine Wildcat batters.

Sellers went 2-for-3 to lead Nevada, highlighted by her two-run shot in the seventh.

Nevada 2, Montana 1
Ellie Garcia dug deep and fought out of a pair of late jams, making two early runs stand up in Nevada's 2-1 victory over Montana.

Montana got three of its five hits off of Garcia in the third, during which it scored its only run of the game to cut the Pack lead in half,. Garcia retired the Lady Griz in order in each of the next two innings, then stranding a pair in the sixth. In the seventh, Montana loaded the bases with one out, but Garcia got herself out of it, first fielding a comebacker and firing home to force out the would-be go-ahead run. She then closed the game by getting Maygen McGrath to fly to right.

Once again, the Pack scored early. Pinch-runner Bradianne Glover scored from second on Aaliyah Jenkins' one-out single into left, and Jenkins, after stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout, came in on Sanchez' single up the middle.

Senini and Sam Oliver each finished with a pair of hits, to lead the Pack lineup.