HENDERSON — Kristina George tossed a two-hit shutout and Western Nevada College nearly recovered from a nine-run deficit as the Wildcats split a Scenic West Athletic Conference softball doubleheader at rival College of Southern Nevada on Friday.
WNC’s 3-0 victory and 9-7 defeat leave the Wildcats one-half game behind third-place CSN.
For the second straight game, George didn’t allow a hit until the seventh inning. The Coyotes slugged a pair of hits in their final at-bat, but George escaped a one-out bases-loaded jam with an infield fly and a strikeout to preserve her second straight shutout.
“She is really getting stronger and stronger. Every time she gets out on the mound, she is doing a great job,” said WNC coach Leah Wentworth.
Until the seventh, the Coyotes put only two runners on base. CSN’s Maggie Manwarren was caught stealing for the first time this season. Lauren Lesniak threw her out trying to swipe second base with one out in the fourth. The only other Coyote baserunner until the seventh came on a walk in the sixth.
George finished with six strikeouts and one walk.
The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead when Melanie Mecham doubled in Samantha Bell in the third inning. WNC scored two more runs in the fourth, stringing together singles by Pamela Sakuma, Makaylee Jaussi, Bell and Mecham.
Vanessa Sanders homered twice in the first three innings, staking the Coyotes to an 8-0 lead in game two. After CSN scored its final run in the fourth to go ahead 9-0, the Wildcats mounted a comeback.
WNC scored six runs in the fifth and had the tying run at the plate in the seventh when CSN recorded the final out.
Mecham’s two-run double highlighted the fifth, while Lesniak, Jaussi and Canibeyaz also doubled in runs.
In the seventh, Mecham singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Lesniak doubled in Mecham to make the score 9-7. Gabriella Canibeyaz’s high chopper to short was handled for the game-ending force out.
“They continue to show fight and heart, and there is no quit in this team,” Wentworth said. “It was a good loss. If we had to lose, they lost good. If we’re not in hole like that tomorrow, it should be really promising for us.”
Mecham was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBI, Lesniak was 2 for 3 with two RBI and Jaussi, Canibeyaz, Kacie Freudenberger and Katilyn Covione each contributed a hit. Jaussi and Covione also delivered an RBI.
George tossed the final two innings, holding the Coyotes scoreless on two hits.
The Wildcats are 9-8 in the SWAC and 14-13 overall and CSN is 10-8 and 18-11 heading into today’s twin bill starting at noon.
PREP BASEBALL
Lowry outscores Dayton
DAYTON — Lowry scored six runs to overcome an 8-6 deficit en route to a 19-10 Northern Division 1A win over the Dust Devils Friday afternoon.
The teams conclude the three-game series with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
“We continue to struggle with our pitching staff being consistent with their command, and four errors led to some cheap runs,” Dayton coach Mike Burrows said. “I give Lowry credit for putting the ball into play, but with the arms we have, we just give up extra outs. We knew that we didn’t have guys with strikeout stuff and that we really need to pitch to contact. Unfortunately when you give up free 90s (free bases) they are going to come back to bite you. We have two games today (Saturday) and we can still win the series but we have to play a lot better in all phases of the game.”
Dayton led 8-6 in the fourth thanks to a double by Mike Selmi and a two-run single by D.J. Baker.
However, Lory used three hit batters and two walks to score six times for a 12-8 lead. Lowry extended to 13-8 and then added six more in the seventh before the Dust Devils scored twice.
Jaret Reed went 3-for-4, while Gage Duke hit a three-run homer and added a single. Selmi and Marcos Saylor added two hits each.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Aggies blank Wolf Pack
RENO — Despite a strong outing from sophomore McKenna Isenberg and two-hit afternoons from junior Jasmine Jenkins and senior Ashley Butera, the Nevada softball team could not get anything going at the plate as Utah State topped the Wolf Pack, 5-0, in Nevada’s conference opener at Hixson Park on Friday afternoon.
Isenberg, who had won her last five starts coming into Friday, took the loss for the Pack (10-20, 0-1 MW).
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Whitt takes loss
SAN JOSE — Carson City’s Adam Whitt was the tough luck loser for No. 26 Nevada in a 5-4 loss to San Jose State.
With the score tied 4-4 and the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Whitt came on to induce a groundout to end the threat.
Whitt alternated between pitcher and right field and returned to the mound with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, but hit a batter to force in the game-winning run, which was unearned.
Nevada is now 21-5 and 7-3 in the Mountain West Conference.
