Nevada softball rolls past Spartans

Nevada softball rolls past Spartans

Appeal Staff Report

Jordan McPherson tossed a complete-game three-hitter to lead the Nevada softball team to a 5-0 win over San Jose State in its first game at at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

The win was Nevada's 13th in a row and propelled the top-seeded Wolf Pack into the next round of the tournament where the team will face fourth-seeded Louisiana Tech on today at 5 p.m. Nevada improved to 41-14 overall.

McPherson walked four and struck out four. She kept the Spartans hitters off balance the entire game. She threw 113 pitches in improving to 15-9 overall on the season.

Freshman Noelle Micka went 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI in the game. Fellow freshman Danielle Patrick went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.

McPherson got out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning. The Spartans had the bags full with one out but McPherson caught an Ashley Wagner line drive and then fired to first to double off Kasey Igarta.

Nevada then jumped on top in the bottom of the second. A leadoff double by Sam Bias got things started. Kelsey Starr then reached on an error by the shortstop. A wild pitch from Spartan starter Deanna Mauer moved both runners up. Freshman Danielle Patrick later delivered a bullet to right field that scored Bias and Starr to give Nevada a 2-0 lead.

Freshman Noelle Micka then hit a two-run home run to right-center, with the ball hitting the top of the fence and bouncing over for the round-tripper. That gave Nevada a 4-0 lead and it was all the offense the Pack would need.

Nevada added a single run in the fifth inning as Micka came through with an RBI single.