March 7, 2008
San Jose Box Score | Nevada Box Score
HAYWARD, Calif. - UNI went 1-1 in the first day of the National Invitational Softball Tournament. UNI secured a 4-3 win over San Jose State, but then fell to Nevada 4-3.
San Jose State scored early in the first inning to put the Spartans up 1-0. Megan Machovec (DeWitt, Iowa/Central) opened the third frame for the Panthers with a triple to center field. Jen Larsen (Moline, Ill./Moline) then stroked a double to right field to send Machovec home and put the Panthers on the board.
The Spartans responded plating another run in the bottom of the fourth to give San Jose State the 2-1 lead.
The Spartans would hold on to the 2-1 lead until the top of the seventh when Larsen blasted a three-run homerun to give the Panthers the 4-2 lead.
The Spartans put together an impressive comeback effort in the bottom of the seventh; with the two runners on base, Sarah Smith hit a single to right field that drove in one run, cutting the Panthers lead to one. The Panther defense held strong to hold on for the 4-3 win.
Larsen pitched her third complete-game for the Panthers this season and improved to 2-2. She also went 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBIs.
vs. Nevada
Nevada took an early 2-0 lead on the Panthers in the bottom of the second frame off a two-run homer by Noelle Micka.
UNI responded quickly with a hot-hitting third frame. Brittany Ruzicka (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson) singled and then advanced on the throw. Machovec followed with a single down the left line. Stephanie Aguero (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) hit another single that plated one run. Larsen then hit yet another single that loaded the bases for the Panthers. Rachel Gerking (Spirit Lake, Iowa/Spirit Lake) then drove in two runs with a single of her own putting UNI up 3-2.
The hot-hitting was halted for the Panthers in the fourth as Nevada's pitcher Katie Holverson struck out three consecutive batters to keep the score at 3-2.
Nevada took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth when Kelsey Starr hit a single to left field that plated one run; and was followed with a double by Britton Murdock that sent Starr home. With runners at first and third UNI pitcher Ashley Lepley (Albia, Iowa/Albia) struck out Kym Silagyi to end the inning with the Wolf Pack up 4-3.
UNI was unable plate any runners the rest of the game, marooning three runners in the last two innings.
Lepley pitched a complete game for the Panthers tossing four strikeouts and allowing just four hits.
UNI returns to action tomorrow when they take on Boston College at 10 a.m. and Tennessee State at 1 p.m.
