JACKSON, MISS. – Nevada got 22 hits and 15 runs to go along with a pair of complete-game efforts in the circle in a doubleheader sweep over Jackson State on Wednesday.
Nevada overcame some defensive miscues in both games, beating the Lady Tigers 4-3 in game one before taking an 11-4 win in game two to improve to 19-30 on the year and run its winning streak to three games. Jackson State fell to 27-25 on the year.
The Wolf Pack will be back in action on Friday when it opens a three-game set at Louisiana Tech.
Jackson State led game two 1-0 all the way until the fourth when Nevada got the bats going. Lauren Lastrapes doubled and Sara Parson was hit by a pitch to put two on with nobody out. After a flyout and a fielder’s choice in which a runner was thrown out at the plate, Nevada was in danger of letting the rally come up short. But pinch hitter Ashley Butera delivered a two-run double to give the Pack a 2-1 lead.
Unfortunately, Nevada gave the lead right back in the bottom of the inning as the Lady Tigers scored three unearned runs go up 4-2.
But the Wolf Pack did not back off at the plate in the fifth inning.
Karley Hopkins hit her first home run in more than a year – a shot to center – to make it 4-3. Chelsea Barilli then doubled and with two outs, Parsons delivered a ground ball up the middle to tie the game. Fincher then doubled to give Nevada the lead and Sam Puzey extended it to 6-4 with a base hit through the right side.
The Wolf Pack broke it wide open in the seventh, with a two-run single by Puzey, an RBI single from Emily Seidel and then a two-run home run from Chelsea Venable to make it 11-4.
That was more than enough for Karlyn Jones to record her seventh straight victory as she improved to 8-4. She gave up five hits and four runs but only three were earned. She struck out two and walked one – just her second walk since March 9th.
Senior pitcher Mallary Darby got her first career at-bat in the seventh and was called out on strikes.
The first game was hardly pretty as the teams combined for five errors, a wild pitch and a passed ball. But Nevada won it on a simple RBI single to right field in the sixth by Karley Hopkins.
That made a winner out of Mallary Darby (9-14), who won her second straight decision and third in her last four starts. Darby went the distance, giving up six hits and three runs – two earned – with three walks and seven strikeouts.
Nevada got a run in the second inning without a hit as the Wolf Pack benefitted from two walks and an error.
But Jackson State went ahead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home run off of Darby.
Nevada came back in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead on a walk, a fielder’s choice in which everyone was safe, wild pitch, passed ball and an RBI groundout by Megan Fincher.
After the Lady Tigers tied it in the bottom of the fifth, Hopkins gave Nevada the lead for good in the sixth.
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