Nevada 2, San José State 0
Sunday, April 13, 2025 – 12 p.m.
San Jose, Calif. – Spartan Softball Complex
 
W: Hailey McLean (14-5)
L: Mia Reynolds (11-14)
 
SAN JOSE – Ainsley Berlingeri and Hailey McLean combined to pitch a three-hit shutout to take the rubber match against San José State. The Pack took sole possession of first place in the Mountain West following the team's fifth consecutive series win.
 
The Pack and the Spartans played in yet another defensive battle on Sunday. Only 10 runs were scored across the series, the series finale produced the least runs of the three games. The Pack started the game the same way they started the previous two, stranding runners in the first inning and failing to link hits together throughout the early innings.
 
Berlingeri got the start for Nevada, retiring the Spartans in order in the first inning, then shutting down San José State's offense following a one-out double in the second. San José State threatened in the third with a pair of runners on and no outs when a lineout to center allowed Bailie Clark to double up the runner at second base, killing the Spartans' rally.
 
Nevada got on the board in the fourth inning. Hannah Di Genova singled up the middle, and then Haylee Engelbrecht walked on four pitches. Matlyn Leetch, pinch running for Di Genova, and Engelbrecht moved into scoring position on a San José State passed ball. Haley Painter tripled to the left field gap, scoring both runners. The triple was Painter's first of the season and snapped a six-game hitless streak for the redshirt junior.
 
After relieving Berlingeri in the third inning, McLean allowed a lead-off single in the fourth inning. She then got a fielder's choice and retired the next 11 Spartan batters. McLean finished the game, only allowing one hit from her 14 batters faced in 4.1 innings. She struck out five batters on only 48 pitches. McLean got the win, her 14^th of the season, tying Tiffany Hoeft-Bass for the 10^th most wins in a Wolf Pack season. Berlingeri pitched the first 2.2 innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out a pair of batters.
 
Painter led the Pack with her two hits, her first multi-hit game since March 23 at Boise State. Madison Clark extended her hit streak to five games, while Saige Alfaro, Hannah Di Genova, and Tatum Maytorena all got base knocks for the Pack.
 
Nevada returns home to Christina M. Hixson Softball Park next weekend to take on the second-place Utah State Aggies. Utah State is coming off a 1-2 series loss to Fresno State. The series is set to start on Thursday at 3 p.m., followed by games at 3 p.m. and noon on Friday and Saturday.
 
Notables

• Painter snapped a six-game hitless streak with her two-run triple in the fourth
• Painter's two RBI bring her to 100 in her career, just eight off of the Nevada career top-10 list
• McLean tied Tiffany Hoeft-Bass's 2004 total of 14 wins for the 10^th most in a Wolf Pack season
• McLean struck out five batters in her 4.1 innings, passing Katie Holverson's 2010 mark of 125 for the 10^th most in a season for the Pack.
• Painter's triple was the Pack's 17^th of the season, passing 2004 for the second-most by a Nevada team, one behind 2024's total.
• The Pack's 32^nd win of the season ties 2016 for the sixth most wins in a season.
• Berlingeri and McLean combined for the Pack's eighth shutout of the year, ties for the seventh most in a season.
• Berlingeri and McLean struck out seven Spartans, passing 2018 for the ninth most team strikeouts in program history (252).