Nevada 1, San Diego State 0
Thursday, March 27, 2025 – 3 p.m.
Reno, Nev. – Christina M. Hixson Softball Park
 
W: Hailey McLean (11-3)
L: Cece Cellura (7-6)
 
RENO, Nev. – Junior Hailey McLean pitched her second complete-game shutout in a week on Thursday, only allowing two hits in the 1-0 win over San Diego State. A pitchers' duel, along with some stellar defensive plays, was the story of game one, with only one run and seven hits combined between the squads.
 
While neither team was able to score through five innings, San Diego State left more opportunities on the base baths. In the first inning, Bella Espinoza reached on a walk to lead off the game. Espinoza was caught stealing a second by Nevada catcher, Aaliyah Jenkins, just a couple of batters before a double that could have scored Espinoza.
 
The Wolf Pack defense was clutch in big moments when it looked like San Diego State had scoring opportunities. With a runner on third and one out, a hard groundball back to McLean forced the runner to stay at third before McLean struck out the next batter to end the inning.
 
With two runners on and one out in the sixth, a low fly ball to right looked to score at least one for San Diego State, but Matlyn Leetch made a diving catch and threw to second base to double up the Aztec runner and thwart another big opportunity for San Diego State.
 
The last big defensive play for the Pack came in the seventh with a runner on second. A hard line-drive to the middle of the field was trouble for the Pack, but a diving snag by Madison Clark saved a run from scoring and tying the game.
 
Entering the sixth inning, Nevada only had three base runners in the game, without one of them reaching third base. Saige Alfaro led off the inning with a single to right field, extending her on-base streak to ten games. Then, with the right fielder shifted towards center due to strong winds, Jenkins sent a ball down the right-field line and into the corner, tripling and scoring Alfaro. Jenkins's RBI ties her for the second most in Wolf Pack history with 166, just one shy of Megan Sweet's record of 167.
 
McLean battled in the seventh inning, getting a 2-2 count on pinch hitter Jazmin Williams. Williams fouled off two pitches and took ball three before McLean got her to swing and miss at the eighth pitch of the at bat. The Aztecs got a runner aboard on a hit-by-pitch, who then advanced on wild pitch in the dirt. Clark's snag at second base got the second out of the inning, followed by a grounder to third where Haley Painter made the play to end the game.
 
McLean finished the game with five strikeouts and has pitched 15 straight scoreless innings for the Pack across her last three appearances. McLean gave up just two hits: four total across her previous 15 innings.
 
In addition to Alfaro and Jenkins, Maya Larsen, Hannah Di Genova, and Clark had tallies in the hit column, with one each. Jenkins's hit streak extends to six games.
 
The Wolf Pack will look to take the series tomorrow, back at Christina M. Hixson Softball Park at 3 p.m.