Nevada 8, Utah State 7
Thursday, April 17, 2025 – 3 p.m.
Reno, Nev. – Christina M. Hixson Softball Park
 
W: Ainsley Berlingeri (8-2)
L: Emmalyn Brinka (8-8)
 
RENO, Nev. – Nevada Softball came back from down 7-1 in the fifth inning to strengthen its hold atop the Mountain West standings. The win was capped off by Lexi O'Gorman's walk-off single, her second walk-off hit of the season.
 
The Wolf Pack opened the game with a Hannah Di Genova single to center field, scoring Aaliyah Jenkins. The Aggies responded in the third inning, tripling to lead off the inning and walking to follow. Grace Matej popped a ball into left field where two Pack defenders collided, allowing the ball to drop and score a run. The following batter, Giselle Garcia, homered deep to left center, putting the Aggies up, 4-1.
 
Despite runners reaching in the second, third, and fourth innings, Nevada wasn't able to score again in the early innings. Utah State padded its lead in the fifth with another leadoff triple. Two quick outs looked to be promising for Nevada before Kya Pratt homered to score two. Alex Bunton doubled to score Utah State's seventh run.
 
The Pack's comeback began in the bottom of the fifth inning when Aaliyah Jenkins homered to left field, her 50^th career home run. Nevada threatened to score another run when Tatum Maytorena sent a ball up the middle, but a runner's interference turned into the third out of the inning.
 
In the sixth inning, Maya Larsen hit her first career triple on a hard grounder off the second baseman's glove, rolling deep into the rightfield corner. Avery Cordell then singled up the middle in a full count to score Larsen's pinch runner, Saskia Raab. Madison Clark and Jenkins each reached to load the bases. Lexi O'Gorman got her first big hit of the day with a liner straight off the pitcher's leg, scoring Clark and Cordell on the play. Di Genova followed with her second RBI hit of the day, scoring Jenkins. A pitching change and two flyouts ended the inning for Nevada.
 
Ainsley Berlingeri got two quick outs in the seventh inning before Olivia Marble singled. Marble ended up leaving first base early, ending any scoring opportunities for the Aggies.
 
Haylee Engelbrecht began the seventh inning with a double to left centerfield, forcing the Aggies to make another pitching change and re-enter their starting pitcher. Cordell and Clark walked to load the bases, where Jenkins would walk in a full count to drive in the tying run. Then, in a 1-1 count, O'Gorman roped a liner to the left field gap, scoring Bailie Clark and walking off the game for the Wolf Pack. The win was Nevada's second true walk-off off the season, both of which were hit by O'Gorman.
 
In a game where Nevada's offense exploded late, many hitters stick out on the box score. Five Wolf Pack hitters recorded multiple hits, including M. Clark, Jenkins, O'Gorman, Maytorena, and Di Genova, who tallied three base knocks. On top of the hits, M. Clark, Di Genova, Larsen, Cordell, and Jenkins all walked, Jenkins doing so twice. Engelbrecht and Maytorena each had doubles to the gaps.
 
Hailey McLean got the start against her former squad, pitching 4.2 innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs, all earned, tying a career-high in both runs and earned runs. The stat line does not tell McLean's whole story, as several defensive mishaps – none officially ruled as errors – allowed extra opportunities for Utah State. She struck out four batters on 95 pitches. Berlingeri relieved McLean in the fifth inning, originally just looking to stop the bleeding. Berlingeri shut down the Aggies' offense in her 2.1 innings, only allowing a pair of hits and no runs. Her dominance in the circle helped spark the offense as Berlingeri got the win, her eighth of the season.
 
Nevada and Utah State will go again tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Christina M. Hixson Softball Park, but no longer as the top two teams in the Mountain West. Despite the Aztecs' loss at Boise State, fewer games played dropped the Aggies to fourth in the standings by winning percentage. The Pack now holds a 1.5-game lead on any team in the Mountain West.
 
Notables
- The Pack's six-run comeback is the biggest since Nevada erased a 9-2 deficit against Utah State to win 10-9 at Utah State on April 14, 2022.
- Lexi O'Gorman's walk-off was the Pack's second true walk-off win of the season.
- O'Gorman is the first player to hit multiple true walk-offs in a season since Danielle Lew walked off back-to-back games in 2020.
- Aaliyah Jenkins's fifth run home run was her 50^th of her career, becoming the 11^th active DI player to reach the mark.
- Hannah Di Genova went 3-for-3 with a walk, the second time she's reached base four times in a game in her career.
- Jenkins went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, the fourth time she's reached base four times in a game in her career.
- Jenkins's two walks tie her with Brittany Puzey for the second-most walks in Nevada history (86), 10 behind the program record.
- Jenkins's 13^th home run of the season ties her 2022 mark and three other players for the fifth most in a Wolf Pack season.
- The Pack's 14 hits were tied for the third most in a game this season; the most in a game where Nevada did not score 10+ runs.
- Jenkins scored three runs, tying three players for the eighth most runs in a Nevada season with 44.
- Nevada's 33^rd win of the year ties 2006 for the fifth most victories in a Nevada season.
- Maya Larsen's first career triple was the Pack's 18^th of the season, tying 2024 for the most in a single season.
- The Pack's 45^th home run of the season ties 2013 for the sixth most in Wolf Pack history.
- Hailey McLean and Ainsley Berlingeri struck out six batters, bringing the season total to 258, passing last season's mark for the eighth most in a Wolf Pack season.