Wolf Pack Softball Sweeps Doubleheader

RENO, Nev. - The University of Nevada softball team won its first two games of the Silver and Blue Classic Friday, defeating Saint Mary's 5-2 and Northern Illinois 9-1 in five innings. Mallary Darby threw two complete games, giving up eight hits, three runs , only one of which was earned, and striking out 17 hitters in 12 total innings. Nevada improved to 9-17, and Darby improved to 9-10 with the wins. In Nevada's first game, the Gaels jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a pair in the top of the first, including a run forced in when Christine Torrisewas hit by a pitch. Nevada got one run on a Megan Fincher solo homer in the bottom of the second inning. The blast to left center was Fincher's second of the year. With Darby settling in after the two run first, The Wolf Pack jumped ahead in the bottom of the third on a three-run home run by Danielle Patrick. Last week's WAC Hitter of theWeek, Patrick lifted a fastball out to dead center field to give the Pack thelead. Darby struck out the side in the top ofthe fourth to keep the Gaels bats quiet, and the Nevada offense continued to add to the lead. She finished the game with 12 strikeouts and one walk, and gave up no earned runs. Karley Hopkins doubled for the 10th time this season in the bottom of the fourth, plating Jayme King, who led off the inning with a single up the middle. Darby's dominance was more than enough, as Nevada collected its eighth win of the year. The Pack was the designated visitingteam against the Northern Illinois Huskies in its second game Friday, in which Fincher hit another solo shot, this one straight to left field, in the top of the second. Keeping the pressure on the Huskies, Nevada scored again in the top of thethird, this time on a bases-loaded walk by Jayme King. NIU scored one in the fourth for their only run of the afternoon. Six runs from Nevada in the top of the fifth, including Patrick's second homer of the day, and a two-run triple by Lauren Lastrapes, pushed the lead to 9-1. Darby got the Huskies to go down 1,2,3 in the fifth to end the game by run rule. Four total games will be played Saturday, with Nevada closing out the action, taking on NIU at approximately 2 p.m. and Idaho State at approximately 4 p.m. The first two games of the day, featuring Saint Mary's vs. Idaho State, and Saint Mary's vs. Northern Illinois, will take place at 9:30 a.m. and approximately 11:45 a.m. respectively.